Avatar: Fire and Ash will once again explore previously unseen areas of Pandora. Along with the hostile Ash Clan, the Mangkwans, Jake and Neytiri will meet the mysterious Wind Traders (a.k.a. the Tlalim Clan).
According to Empire Online (via SFFGazette.com), they're a group of Na'vi who "traverse the lush moon on gigantic jellyfish-like creatures," with Wonder Woman star David Thewlis set to play their leader, Peylak.
"They’re upbeat, happy, colourful," Avatar: Fire And Ash costume designer Deborah L. Scott says of the group. "And when they come into our movie, everyone’s excited to see them. It’s like the circus is in town."
"Originally the cloak was a little more rugged, a little more rustic," she continued, sharing a first look at Peylak which you can check out below. "But as all the clans developed, Jim [Cameron] said, 'I just don’t think it’s grand enough.' So I went back and reinvented it. The way he carries himself, he’s got great posture. He’s absolutely stunning in the movie."
However, it won't just be new sides of the Na'vi we explore in Avatar: Fire and Ash. The villainous RDA will continue to evolve, debuting a formidable-looking Factory Ship highlighted in more concept art from the threequel.
Production designer Ben Procter describes that as "a moving oil platform that is designed to capture and process the tulkun on an industrial scale," and adds, "Coming out of these vehicles is an army, and all of that leads into a war. At the end of Avatar 3, what we’re going to see is something of a scale, in terms of conflict, that we have not seen before."
Avatar: Fire and Ash was shot back-to-back with 2022's Avatar: The Way of Water; while Cameron's original plan was for them to be one movie, he decided there was too much material and expanded the story across parts two and three (a fourth instalment is also in development).
In the threequel, Jake and Neytiri will encounter the "Ash People," a new clan of Na'vi, though that's really all we have in terms of officially released plot details right now.
Oona Chaplin (Game of Thrones) plays the leader of the Ash People, Varang. David Thewlis and Michelle Yeoh are also joining the cast alongside returning stars Sam Worthington, Zeo Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Britain Dalton, Jack Champion, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Bailey Bass, Joel David Moore, Edie Falco, and Dileep Rao.
Cameron, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver wrote Avatar: Fire and Ash and the movie will be released in theaters on December 19. Check out this new Avatar: Fire and Ash concept art in the X posts below.