James Cameron Suggests AVATAR 4 And 5 Aren't Guaranteed; Reveals FIRE AND ASH's Mammoth Runtime

James Cameron Suggests AVATAR 4 And 5 Aren't Guaranteed; Reveals FIRE AND ASH's Mammoth Runtime

Avatar: Fire and Ash is the next chapter in filmmaker James Cameron's epic sci-fi franchise, but he's not so sure about Avatar 4 and 5. We also have a runtime update from the filmmaker. Check it out...

By JoshWilding - Oct 03, 2025 03:10 PM EST
Filed Under: Avatar
Source: Variety (via SFFGazette.com)

Avatar: Fire and Ash swoops into theaters this December and will almost certainly be a box office hit. Even at a time when it's harder than ever for Hollywood blockbusters to top $1 billion worldwide, $2 billion seems a safe bet for James Cameron's threequel. 

2009's Avatar boasted a mammoth 162-minute runtime, with Avatar: The Way of Water clocking in at a lengthy 192 minutes in 2022. That didn't have too much of a negative impact on the box office revenue for either film, and the director has now confirmed that Avatar: Fire and Ash will be similarly long, with an expected three-hour runtime. 

Talking to Variety (via SFFGazette.com), Cameron explained that he went back and added scenes to the movie of Jake reuniting with his Toruk from the first movie. That ended up having an impact on how long the movie is. 

"[The Toruk] didn’t exist in 'Fire and Ash.' And I went, 'Oh, he’s got to go get the bird.' Come on! I was saving it for a later film. I was like, 'F**k that! He should get the bird. Get the Toruk,'" the filmmaker shared. "There’s something in Jake’s destiny that requires it, right?"

"So I just re-wrote it, and we went back and we shot two or three scenes around that concept, and I threw some stuff out and stuck that in. And we’re at three hours, big surprise!" he added. "But it works beautifully, and the actors were super-excited about that idea. It’s like, oh, okay, that feels right, you know? So it’s not set in stone. It’s a constantly evolving creative process. And that’s what keeps you vigorous and engaged."

That was probably a relatively easy process for Cameron because Avatar: The Way of Water and Avatar: Fire and Ash were filmed back-to-back. A fourth movie is dated for December 21, 2029, with the fifth and "final" chapter set for December 19, 2031.

However, if the Terminator and Aliens director is to be believed, then neither movie is guaranteed. "The big swing in all of this is, do we make any money with Avatar 3? I mean, we’ll make some money. But the question is, what kind of a profit margin, if any, is there, and how much of an inducement is that to continue on in this universe? Or maybe we wait a while until we figure out how to bring costs down."

"Because production costs have spiraled over the last few years, especially in VFX. Everything’s gone up an enormous amount, and it’s starting to close out the type of films that I like to make."

"So there’s an argument for taking a pause and figuring that out," he continued. "There’s an argument for going out and doing some smaller, more personal film in the meantime, while that gets figured out. There’s an argument, in wild success, for us just launching and just going straight into [Avatar 4 and 5] and I figure out a production methodology where I have a bit of a hiatus where I can make another film."

Further casting doubt on those movies happening is the fact that Cameron views this third instalment as a conclusion, of sorts. While there's more story to tell, it sounds like Avatar 4 will get a time jump that makes it feel like a vastly different movie.

Based on past comments from Cameron, we can surmise that the plan is for the movie's kids to be portrayed as adults in the franchise's next chapters.

"Two and three really tell one big story," he pointed out. "And then ultimately, if I get so lucky and I make four and five, four and five tell one big story. So it kind of stops for a beat after the end of three. I don’t mean we’ll necessarily stop in production, but the story kind of stops and then it jumps forward in time a little bit."

With Avatar: Fire and Ash, 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.

The third instalment in the hugely successful Avatar franchise opens exclusively in theaters worldwide in IMAX 3D, Dolby Cinema 3D, RealD 3D, Cinemark XD, 4DX, ScreenX, and premium screens everywhere on December 19, 2025.

War Comes To Pandora (Again) In The New Trailer And Poster For James Cameron's AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH
Related:

War Comes To Pandora (Again) In The New Trailer And Poster For James Cameron's AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH

AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH Trailer Officially Released After Playing In Theaters With THE FANTASTIC FOUR
Recommended For You:

AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH Trailer Officially Released After Playing In Theaters With THE FANTASTIC FOUR

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.

This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. ComicBookMovie.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please CONTACT US for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. CLICK HERE to learn more about our copyright and trademark policies.

Note that ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 10/3/2025, 3:10 PM
hated the first, didn't bother with the second.
HelloBoysImBack
HelloBoysImBack - 10/3/2025, 3:13 PM
@harryba11zack - liked the film 2nd and 3rd are the same with a different skin..... how people lap this shit up is beyond me
dragon316
dragon316 - 10/3/2025, 3:49 PM
@harryba11zack - I hate avatar movies and first was boring second was ok better from first if you like moby dick , and titanic similarities in end of second movie if I kinda like second hate first and hate avatar series that says a lot
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 10/3/2025, 3:59 PM
@harryba11zack - didn't even bother to see the first. Heard the story was sh1t and out mindless population gobbled it up because of the 3-D imagery.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 10/3/2025, 4:01 PM
*our mindless

I swear at @NateBest ..... Get On It!
Usernametaken
Usernametaken - 10/3/2025, 4:04 PM
@harryba11zack - I actually fell asleep in the theater while watching the first one.

I had a much better experience watching the second one, but when I tried to watch it again at home, I was just like "this is boring".

Those movies are more akin to a very high budget immersive amusement park and need to be seen in the theaters to really be enjoyable.

If you take away the theater experience, it's just an okay movie.
HelloBoysImBack
HelloBoysImBack - 10/3/2025, 3:12 PM
Avatar 4. Jellow and Ice cream
Avatar 5. Shit and piss
Pampero
Pampero - 10/3/2025, 3:18 PM
“But the question is, what kind of a profit margin, if any, is there, and how much of an inducement is that to continue on in this universe? Or maybe we wait a while until we figure out how to bring costs down. Because production costs have spiraled over the last few years, especially in VFX.”

Cameron’s saying this to start softening up the audience before dropping the bomb that Avatar 4 and 5 will be made with AI.
RegularPoochie
RegularPoochie - 10/3/2025, 3:28 PM
User Comment Image
Luke8
Luke8 - 10/3/2025, 3:36 PM
The Avatar series is a guilty pleasure of mine. In some ways, it reminds me of the original Planet of the Apes series. Thinly veiled social commentary along with special effects that wowed audiences. I hope 4 and 5 happen.
MarvelZombie616
MarvelZombie616 - 10/3/2025, 3:39 PM
While i found Avatar to be an okay movie, neither i nor my friends felt compelled to watch part 2.
I have zero interest in this franchise, as i see it as an unoriginal one.

I'd rather see Cameron making another Alien or Terminator movie or something else.
Huskers
Huskers - 10/3/2025, 3:51 PM
I’ll never understand how these make so much money. The first one I get because of the novelty and the marketing of it as groundbreaking 3D technology. I saw the first one in theaters for that reason. Realized it was Dances with Wolves in space and have never watch it again nor had any interest in sequels. I honestly don’t get the attraction. It’s basically just a really well done cartoon isn’t it?!??
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 10/3/2025, 4:05 PM
It seems like more and more James Cameron is an arrogant prick. The same guy who endorsed every Terminator film after T2 for .... whatever reason.

We get it, you definitely had HUGE HITS. But, now the dude's living off of film with 3-D gimmicks. Doesn't seem so artistic and people are getting over the Avatar gimmick quickly.

If pick Nolan over Cameron any time in this moment in history.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 10/3/2025, 4:08 PM
On top of that, T-2 was amazing.....except it went on about 45 minutes too long. T-1 is perfect. Aliens is perfect. Titanic is ..... ok.
Dude doesn't deserve the thrown he thinks he sits on.
WEAPONXOXOXO
WEAPONXOXOXO - 10/3/2025, 4:22 PM
@lazlodaytona - he didn't endorse all of them. Who cares if he's a prick. Is he your neighbor? As long as he keeps making fun movies is all you need out of him.

Please log in to post comments.

Don't have an account?
Please Register.

View Recorder