Disney’s D23 jamboree saw director James Cameron announce the title of his next Avatar film: Fire And Ash, and tease its “high emotional stakes.”
The sequel to 2009’s Avatar and 2022’s Avatar: The Way Of Water now has an official title – Avatar: Fire And Ash. The elemental-sounding subtitle was announced at Disney’s D23 event in California over the weekend, and James Cameron himself took a few hours out of his busy schedule to talk teasingly about his upcoming sci-fi fantasy.
“The characters are so alive, and it feels so real,” Cameron said, as quoted by Entertainment Weekly. “It’s also got very high emotional stakes – more than ever before. We’re going into really challenging territory for all the characters you know and love.”
Cameron then suggested that his fiery (and ashy) sequel might defy audience expectations somewhat. “The film is not what expect,” he said, “but it’s definitely what you want.”
This writer dearly wants a good night’s sleep, but Avatar: Fire And Ash surely won’t offer that. Not intentionally at any rate.
The third Avatar film was shot concurrently with the second, with filming on both finishing in December 2020. Avatar: Way Of Water, despite the considerable gap between it and its predecessor, was another runaway hit, making over $2bn and becoming one of the most successful films of all time.
Although it sounds vaguely like a chain of steak restaurants, Fire And Ash is likely a reference to the Ash People, a previously unseen tribe of Na’vi who will serve as the film’s villains. Oona Chaplin has signed up to play its main antagonist, named Varang. David Thewlis has also joined the cast as a character called Peylak, while Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet and Stephen Lang are among the returning cast members in Cameron’s CGI eco fable.
In related Avatar news, Disney has announced that a new attraction based on the franchise is going to be built at Disneyland, California. It’s said to be based on the aquatic trappings of The Way Of Water; according to designer Ali Rubin, it’ll take visitors “on the adventure of a lifetime.”
Avatar: Fire And Ash is due to appear in cinemas on the 19th December 2025. Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 – and possibly Avatar 6 and Avatar 7 – are set to follow.
