James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash is set to hit theaters in December, continuing the epic sci-fi journey that began in 2009. As the third installment in the Avatar series, it picks up after Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), bringing back familiar faces while introducing new characters.
He first revealed plans for Avatar sequels in 2010, following the massive success of the original film. However, the development of advanced underwater motion-capture technology and the expansion of the storyline caused several delays. Filming for Fire and Ash kicked off in 2017, alongside The Way of Water, and wrapped up in December 2020 after more than three years of production.
The film will see the return of familiar stars like Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, and Cliff Curtis. It will also introduce new characters, with David Thewlis and Oona Chaplin joining the cast.
Advertisement James Cameron recently revealed that a few people have already seen parts of Avatar: Fire and Ash, and their feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. According to Cameron, many viewers called it the most emotional film in the series, with some even saying it’s the best installment yet. He praised the cast’s performances and described the film as “heart-wrenching in the best way.”
I’ve shown it to a few selected people and the feedback has been it’s definitely the most emotional and maybe the best of the three so far. We’ll find out, you know, but I feel pretty good about it. And the work is exceptional from the actors. It’s pretty heart-wrenching in a good way.
The Avatar saga is far from finished. Two more sequels, Avatar 4 and Avatar 5, are already in the works and set to release in 2029 and 2031, respectively. With Cameron’s creative vision and cutting-edge technology, the world of Pandora will keep growing for years to come.
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Cameron confirmed that he’ll finish the remaining Avatar films in New Zealand, a process expected to take another five to six years. He mentioned that the scripts and early designs for the fourth and fifth installments are already complete.
He also shared that production for Avatar: Fire and Ash is progressing smoothly, with around 1,000 people currently working on it, mostly in Wellington. Cameron hopes the same crew will continue with the fourth and fifth films once the third installment wraps up.
We’re in very good shape on it. I think we’ve got about 1000 people employed, mostly here in Wellington right now, and hopefully we’ll roll right over into [movies] four and five from that. Look, I love to make jobs here. We’re actually moving some of our people over from the US, and we’ll be hiring as well. We’re focusing more of the production here than we have.
Avatar: Fire and Ash will hit theaters on December 19, 2025, by 20th Century Studios.