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Avatar 3: What does James Cameron’s film have in store?
After the monumental success of Avatar: The Way of Water, James Cameron’s Avatar 3 (Fire and Ash), slated for release in December 2025, could prove even more spectacular than its predecessors. Here’s everything we know so far about the next chapter in the blockbuster saga.
by Violaine Schütz.
Following the December 2022 theatrical release of Avatar: The Way of Water, which grossed over $2.32 billion worldwide, the third installment in the saga is under intense scrutiny. Avatar 3, filmed back-to-back with the previous entry in the lucrative franchise, is scheduled to hit theaters on December 17, 2025, and is slowly unveiling itself piece by piece.
The Cast of Avatar 3: Zoe Saldana, Kate Winslet, and More
Directed by James Cameron, Avatar: Fire and Ash will star Sam Worthington (Clash of the Titans), Zoe Saldana (Emilia Perez), Kate Winslet, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang (Tombstone), and Oona Chaplin (Taboo, Black Mirror, Game of Thrones).
In January 2023, James Cameron hinted at a potential reunion between the iconic Titanic (1997) duo Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. On the Critics’ Choice Awards 2023 red carpet, the director joked, “I told Kate to call Leo. She can get ahold of him faster than I can. There’s an environmental theme, right? So maybe he’d be interested.” For now, though, such a reunion remains a distant dream.
New Tribes in Avatar: Fire and Ash
While the exact plot remains under wraps, Avatar 3 is expected to run around 3 hours and 10 minutes (according to Cameron in Empire) and will introduce a new Na’vi tribe, indigenous humanoid creatures of Pandora. This group, the Mangkwan or Fire People, are aligned with the element of fire and depicted as more cruel and volcanic than other Na’vi clans. Their leader is expected to be portrayed by Oona Chaplin.
Speaking to 20 Minutes, James Cameron explained, “I want to show the Na’vi from a different perspective. So far, I’ve only shown their good side. In the first two films, humans were portrayed negatively and the Na’vi positively. With Avatar 3, we’ll flip that. We’ll also explore new environments while continuing the story of the main characters.”
A sneak peek at CinemaCon 2025
At CinemaCon in Las Vegas in April 2025, the first footage of the film was shown, revealing yet another tribe: the Wind Traders, who travel the skies in balloon-like airships. They’re at odds with the Fire People. In the trailer, both tribes clash in an aerial battle.
Zoe Saldana took to the stage to present the project, stating: “The Wind Traders are a peaceful, nomadic clan who travel through the skies, while the Fire People are former Na’vi who have turned away from Eywa, the goddess of Pandora.” In a pre-recorded video, James Cameron added, “The Sully family is really going to struggle this time, facing not only the human invaders but also new threats from Pandora itself in the form of the Fire People!”
Another notable reveal: Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) will no longer be the narrator of this chapter. James Cameron announced that Lo’ak, Jake’s son (played by Britain Dalton in The Way of Water), will take over the narration.
“It’s going to be incredible. Avatar 3 is going to be amazing, and with 4 and 5, it’s going to get even crazier.” Zoe Saldana
No matter the new landscapes and characters, the film promises to be even more breathtaking than the previous ones. Zoe Saldana echoed this sentiment in an interview with Collider
“It’s going to be incredible. Avatar 3 will be amazing, and with 4 and 5, things are going to get even crazier. Seriously. [James Cameron] is going to blow your mind. That’s his legacy. We thought it would be Titanic, but it turns out it’s Avatar. And being part of something this innovative and creative kind of makes it our legacy too. I’m super excited to go back. We’re resuming work next week—I can’t wait to see everyone again.”
In a separate interview with Deadline during the 2024 Cannes Film Festival where she received the Best Actress award for Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Perez, Saldana added: “The Na’vi scenes are always filmed in Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles. Once that part is done, they move on to New Zealand for about seven months.”
A series on Disney+ after Avatar 3?
Back in March 2023, rumors circulated about a potential nine-hour director’s cut of Avatar 3 by Cameron. While the theatrical version is expected to run around three hours, the extended version could be released as a mini-series on Disney+.
That’s according to renowned American film journalist Jeff Sneider, who posted on Twitter on March 16, 2023: “Rumor: Remember when I told you James Cameron had a 9-hour cut of Avatar 3 and insisted on completing all VFX? I’m hearing that version might debut on Disney+ as a limited series AFTER the theatrical release…” Following this ambitious project, we can expect to see Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 in December 2029 and December 2031, respectively.
Avatar: Fire and Ash (Avatar 3) by James Cameron, starring Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, and Kate Winslet, hits theaters December 17, 2025.
