It would appear that James Cameron is not done testing audience patience, or bladder endurance.
Cameron has confirmed that Avatar: Fire and Ash will surpass The Way of Water in runtime, meaning fans can expect to be in their seats even longer than the 192 minutes they endured in 2022.
Speaking to Empire, Cameron explained that the decision to extend the third film came down to story constraints. “In a nutshell, we had too many great ideas packed into act one of movie 2,” he said. “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.’”
Fire and Ash continues Cameron’s ambitious blueprint for the Avatar saga, which is now set to span five films. Co-writer Amanda Silver noted that the shift wasn’t just about length but about giving the characters space to develop. “These movies are a lot more than just propulsive plot and gorgeous spectacle,” she said. “I mean, these are real characters.”
Despite criticisms over runtime, Avatar films continue to dominate the box office. The 2009 original remains the highest-grossing film of all time, while The Way of Water sits in third place. With that kind of success, Cameron isn’t worried about audiences losing interest.
As for the future, Cameron remains committed to directing the fourth and fifth installments. “Absolutely,” he told The Hollywood Reporter last year. “They’re going to have to stop me. I got plenty of energy, love doing what I’m doing. Why would I not? And they’re written, by the way. I just reread both of them about a month ago. They’re cracking stories. They’ve got to get made.”
Details on the plot of Fire and Ash remain under wraps, but Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña will return as Jake Sully and Neytiri. The film is set to hit cinemas on December 19, 2025, with Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 scheduled for December 21, 2029, and December 19, 2031, respectively.
Get ready for another marathon viewing session.
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