James Cameron Reveals Connection Between Two Avatar Sequels

Upcoming entry Avatar: Fire And Ash is set to revolutionize the blockbuster film series, and filmmaker James Cameron has given fans some insight on how things went behind the scenes during the development of the project.

The Avatar franchise is two for two at the box office, with 2009’s Avatar and 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water shattering records and giving audiences an unmatched experience that pushed the bounds of film technology at their respective times. With more than a decade between them, Cameron’s vision for groundbreaking cinematography was easy to see and rewarding to experience. However, the next entry in the franchise, Avatar: Fire And Ash, is currently set for a late 2025 release, giving the production only three years and no chance for the same massive leap forward that The Way of Water made over the original film. However, it’s been teased that Fire & Ash will be the darkest of the three so far.

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One notable part of the upcoming film’s marketing has been the previews showing a new visual direction for the Avatar franchise, living up to its name as being almost a total 180 from the breathtaking subnautical splendor of The Way of Water. However, the two films are more closely related than fans might have expected considering the vastly different styles. In a recent interview with Empire, Cameron revealed just how interconnected the upcoming threequel is with The Way of Water. “In a nutshell, we had too many great ideas packed into act one of movie two,” Cameron explains, referring to the Avatar writers’ room. “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.’” This means that despite the drastic differences in landscape and themes, both films were derived from the same wellspring of ideas. Cameron also gave more details on the film’s length, revealing that, “movie three will actually be a little bit longer than movie two,” whereas his last update had only said they would be close in length.

This throughline between the two projects isn’t clear at the moment, especially in light of the way the third film’s plot is being promoted. Cameron promised a lot more depth in Avatar: Fire and Ash, suggesting that the film’s characters would be far more nuanced and morally grey than the film series had previously showcased. However, it does bring up the question of how the two films could be so different from a writing standpoint if they emerged from the same ether. It’s possible that the second entry, bringing the franchise back after more than a decade and having the gimmick of the stunning new technology that brought its underwater world to life, was simply a guaranteed hit. With the same sort of appeal as the first film, The Way of Water could equally afford to be as basic in its plot.

Early comments have painted Avatar: Fire And Ash as “pretty heart-wrenching” and touted it as the best of the series so far, which should be a clear indicator that the added depth and nuance was done justice in the upcoming project. The previews shown so far seem to suggest that, despite showing a much less appealing side to Pandora’s usually lush landscapes, Fire & Ash will still be a treat for the eyes, with the same level of detail, stunning visual fidelity, and potent visual storytelling going hand in hand with the proported new depth. Fans will have to wait until the tail end of the year to see this for themselves, but (unlike the landscapes in the movie) things are looking green for Fire & Ash.

Avatar: Fire And Ash is currently set for theatrical release on December 19, 2025.

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Source: Empire