Posted in: 20th Century Studios, Movies | Tagged: avatar 3, Avatar: Fire and Ash

Avatar: Fire And Ash Exists Because Avatar 2 Had Too Many Great Ideas

Avatar: Fire and Ash director James Cameron says the film exists because The Way of Water had "too many great ideas packed into act one."

Published Sat, 08 Mar 2025 17:47:07 -0600

by Kaitlyn Booth

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Article Summary

James Cameron unveils that Avatar: Fire and Ash emerged from Avatar 2's packed storyline and character ideas.
Avatar: Fire and Ash to provide breathing room for character development amid its extended runtime.
With ten months to go, the plot remains under wraps, sparking anticipation for new footage.
Avatar franchise expands to five films, with Fire and Ash releasing December 19, 2025.

If you were following the development cycle of the Avatar sequels, it seemed like they kept changing how many movies there were going to be before finally settling on five. It turns out that we weren't supposed to have five movies right out of the gate, and that was something they changed during the writing process. Empire is dedicating some space every month to the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash, and this month, director James Cameron has revealed that Fire and Ash wasn't supposed to exist, kind of. He explained that during the writing process, "we had too many great ideas packed into act one of movie 2. The [film] was moving like a bullet train, and we weren't drilling down enough on character. So I said, 'Guys, we've got to split it.'" And if you think that means Fire and Ash is going to be shorter, you're in for a ride awakening because "movie 3 will actually be a little bit longer than movie 2."

: AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH – Concept art by Dylan Cole. ©2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

: AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH – Concept art by Dylan Cole. ©2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

: Kiri in 20th Century Studios' AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

: Tuk (Trinity Bliss) in 20th Century Studios' AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

If they were willing to fund five movies, there really wasn't any reason to sprint to the finish line of any of these films. The first film pulled in more money than the GDP of small countries, and the second is right there with it. So, if there was ever a franchise that can take its sweet time, it's Avatar. As writer Amanda Silver explained it, "The characters needed to breathe. These movies are a lot more than just propulsive plot and gorgeous spectacle. I mean, these are real characters." The spectacle has always been the thing that has worked for these films from the second the first film started. The real test is whether or not the audience will be as invested in these characters as Cameron and his writer's room is by the time movie five is released.

We're still getting breadcrumbs regarding the overall plot and whatnot, but considering that this movie is over ten months away, that really isn't surprising. Perhaps Disney will show us something at CinemaCon during its presentation, but your guess is as good as ours as to when footage of Avatar: Fire and Ash will be released to the public.

Avatar: Fire and Ash, directed by James Cameron, stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao, Matt Gerald, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Jemaine Clement, Britain Dalton, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion, Bailey Bass, Filip Geljo, Duane Evans, Jr., David Thewlis, and Oona Chaplin. It will be released in theaters on December 19, 2025, and is movie three of five in the series.

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