Photo by Adriano Ercolani
According to director James Cameron, Avatar 3 will be titled Avatar: Fire and Ash when it’s released in cinemas on December 19, 2025.
Cameron announced at D23 in Anaheim this week that Fire and Ash will rain down with a star-studded cast that includes Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Dileep Rao, Joel David Moore, Britain Dalton, Jack Champion, and Bailey Bass. Several new faces will also be seen in the cast, including David Thewlis and Michelle Yeoh.
The director had previously been quoted as saying that the third Avatar installment will look at “different cultures from those I have already shown [as in the earlier The Way of Water]. The fire will be represented by the ‘Ash People.’ I want to show the Na’vi from another angle because, so far, I have only shown their good sides.”
“In the early films, there are very negative human examples and very positive Na’vi examples,” Cameron added. “In Avatar 3, we will do the opposite. We will also explore new worlds, while continuing the story of the main characters. I can say that the last parts will be the best. The others were an introduction, a way to set the table before serving the meal.”
At D23, Cameron also previewed some of the imagery from Fire and Ash, including visuals of Neytiri (Saldaña) riding a banshee and a sneak peek at first look at the fearsome soot-covered Ash People of the Na’vi dancing around a huge fire pit.
“You’ll see a lot more Pandora that you never saw before,” Cameron declared. “It’s an insane adventure and a feast for the eyes, but it’s also got very high emotional stakes, more than ever before. We’re going into really challenging territory for all the characters you know and love.”
As was the case with The Way of Water, the screenplay for Fire and Ash was written by Cameron, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver. The two stories were originally conceived as a single film until Cameron decided to break it into two separate ones.
Cameron also paid tribute to the late Jon Landau, with whom he produced the earlier Avatar films. . After the 83-year-old Landau died of lung cancer in July, Cameron issued a statement that said: “His legacy is not just the films he produced, but the personal example he set — indomitable, caring, inclusive, tireless, insightful and utterly unique. He produced great films, not by wielding power but by spreading warmth and the joy of making cinema. He inspired us all to be and to bring our best, every day. I have lost a dear friend, and my closest collaborator of 31 years. A part of myself has been torn away.”
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