The Avatar: Fire And Ash Trailer Offers Plenty Of Both

Pandora’s going to war in James Cameron’s wildly ambitious sci-fi epic.

One thing I dig about James Cameron‘s Avatar flicks is I’ve got no idea where the story is going. Avatar: The Way Of Water was in many ways a retread of the first film as well as a sequel, and so spent a fair whack of time reintroducing us to the whole Avatar dealio. Given Avatar came out way back in 2009, that’s arguably understandable. But now we’re full tilt into it, and the Fire And Ash trailer wastes no time in showing us we’re in uncharted territory.

Avatar: Fire And Ash Trailer

What’s the plot?

As the official synopsis breathelessly tells us:

With Avatar: Fire and Ash, James Cameron takes audiences back to Pandora in an immersive new adventure with Marine turned Na’vi leader Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Na’vi warrior Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and the Sully family.

Which clears up absolutely nothing. But it seems obvious that a new clan of Na’vi, the Mangkwan or Ash People, present something of a problem for our heroes, being much more aggressive and warlike than the Na’vi we’ve met so far. Meanwhile Stephen Lang’s Colonel Quaritch is still keen to nail Jake Sully’s blue hide to the wall, and apparently there are sky-jellyfish now. I’m here for it.

Who’s in it?

The cast seems to have gotten a lot bigger when I wasn’t paying attention, so get ready for:

• Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, a human turned Na’vi freedom fighter.
• Zoe Saldaña as alien baba and bad ass Neytiri.
• Sigourney Weaver as Kiri, daughter of Dr. Grace Augustine, who Weaver played back in the first film.
• Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch, formerly deceased, now in an Avatar body.
• Giovanni Ribisi as sleazy suit Parker Selfridge.
• Kate Winslet as Ronal, Metkayina and Tonowari’s wife.
• Cliff Curtis as Tonowari, chief of the Metkayina.
• Joel David Moore as Dr. Norm Spellman, heroic dork.
• CCH Pounder as Mo’at, the Omatikaya’s priestess and Neytiri’s mother.
• Edie Falco as RDA bigwig General Frances Ardmore.
• Brendan Cowell as Captain Mick Scoresby, whale hunter with what I’ll assume is an Ahab thing going now, seeing as he lost an arm in the last movie.
• Jemaine Clement as Dr. Ian Garvin, biologist and self-loathing drunk.
• Britain Dalton as Lo’ak, Jake and Neytiri’s son.
• Trinity Jo-Li Bliss as Tuktirey, Jake and Neytiri’s daughter.
• Jack Champion as Miles “Spider” Socorro, Quaritch’s son, Na’vi adoptee, and problematic dreadlock-haver.
• Bailey Bass as Tsireya, Ronal’s daughter and Lo’ak’s love interest.
• Filip Geljo as Ao’nung, Ronal’s son.
• Duane Evans, Jr. as Rotxo, Metkayina hunter.
• Dileep Rao as scientist Dr. Max Patel.
• Matt Gerald as Corporal Lyle Wainfleet, resurrected mercenary.
• David Thewlis as Peylak, a new Na’vi character.
• Oona Chaplin as Varang, the Na’vi leader of the volcano-dwelling Ash People.

When’s it out?

Avatar: Fire And Ash is in Australian cinemas from December 19 2025.

What’s the vibe?

I learned long ago not to bet against James Cameron, and that axiom was served me well ever since. You can argue about Avatar‘s cultural impact ’til the cows come home, but people do show up for these things. Personally, I’m a sucker for Cameron’s hard sci-fi (well, harder than usual) approach, and I dig these movies on an almost anthropological level, just enjoying the intricate world-building. Plus I have a bet going re: the origins of the Na’vi and how they fit into Pandora, and I’m pretty sure I’m gonna win, so I have to watch.