‘Avatar’ Director Reveals His “Plan B” If Future Sequels Are Scrapped

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Though recently released, Avatar: Fire and Ash is already prompting questions about the future of the Avatar franchise. The original Avatar, which debuted in 2009 with its stunning visuals, revolutionized filmmaking with its advanced motion-capture technology. It also broke box office records, becoming the highest-grossing film ever – even surpassing director James Cameron’s previous hit, Titanic.

The 2022 follow-up, Avatar: The Way of Water, moved the story from Pandora’s forests to its oceans, where Jake Sully, Neytiri, and their children sought refuge with the Metkayina clan. The third film, Avatar: Fire and Ash, released just before Christmas 2025, proved the enduring popularity of Cameron’s series, earning over $540 million in its first few weeks. Our review at MovieWeb described it as both “enthralling” and “bombastic,” though it didn’t quite live up to expectations for a darker narrative.

So, I’ve been following all the interviews with James Cameron about the new Avatar movie, and everyone keeps asking him about the future of the series. He basically said it’s all still being figured out! Apparently, Avatar 4 is still on track for December 2029, and if everything goes well, Avatar 5 should hit theaters in 2031. Fingers crossed they can keep the momentum going!

‘Avatar’ Director Doesn’t Know If ‘Fire and Ash’ Sequels Will Happen


Walt Disney Pictures

James Cameron, the director behind films like Terminator and Aliens, recently said he’s unsure if there will be more installments in the current film series. He expressed hope that there will be, but also noted that future films depend on demonstrating a strong financial justification.

He has a point – people keep returning to theaters to see the continuing story of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family, who are facing danger. However, what are James Cameron’s plans if the fourth and fifth Avatar movies don’t happen?

He hinted that if plans for projects four and five fall through, he’ll explain what they were intended to be at a press conference. He said this playfully, as a way of building anticipation.

I’ve heard he’s really focused on writing a novel right now, and it totally makes sense to me. While Avatar is famous for its amazing visuals, the whole world Cameron built is what really makes it special. At some point, it probably just becomes simpler to develop all those ideas in a book.

James Cameron explained that the characters have a rich history and incredibly detailed backgrounds. He’d like to share all of that development, but acknowledges that it’s difficult because people aren’t reading as much anymore. Still, he thinks it would be valuable to have a complete, official record of the story’s original intent.

I was a little surprised to see the reaction to the new movie, Fire and Ash. It actually opened with the lowest score the series has ever gotten on Rotten Tomatoes – just 71% at first. And honestly, it’s dropped even further since then! Right now, critics are giving it a 66% rating, and that’s based on over 300 reviews. It’s a bit concerning to see, as a fan.

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2025-12-27 22:23