Avatar: Fire and Ash

Avatar: Fire and Ash is a 2025 American epic science fiction film directed by James Cameron from a screenplay he co-wrote with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. Produced by Lightstorm Entertainment, it is the third installment in the Avatar film series and the sequel to Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). The film features Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet reprising their roles from previous films. The story follows the human-turned-Na'vi Jake Sully and his family on the habitable moon Pandora, as they face the combined threat of the human RDA forces and the Mangkwan, a tribe of ruthless, warmongering and collaborationist Na'vi. Cameron, who had stated in mid-2006 that he would like to make sequels to Avatar (2009) if it was successful, announced the first two sequels in early 2010 following the success of the first film, with Avatar 3 aiming for a December 2015 release. However, the addition of two further sequels, and the development of new technology required to film performance capture scenes underwater, a feat never accomplished before, led to significant delays to allow the crew more time to work on the writing, pre-production, and visual effects. The film started shooting simultaneously with The Way of Water in New Zealand on September 25, 2017. Filming completed in late December 2020, after over three years of shooting. With an estimated production budget of at least $350 million, it is one of the most expensive films ever made. Avatar: Fire and Ash had its world premiere at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, on December 1, 2025, and was released in the United States on December 19 by 20th Century Studios. Critical response was generally positive, with praise for the visual effects and spectacle, but criticism for repeating the narrative beats of its predecessors. It was a box office success, grossing $1.484 billion and becoming the third highest-grossing film of 2025, but also the lowest-grossing film of the series. Named among the top ten films of 2025 by the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review, it received two Academy Award nominations (Best Costume Design and Best Visual Effects) and two Golden Globe nominations. Two sequels (Avatar 4 and Avatar 5) are scheduled for 2029 and 2031, respectively, though their status is dependent on the box office performance of Fire and Ash.