At this year's D23, director James Cameron took the stage to reveal the official title of his third Avatar movie: Avatar: Fire and Ash.
BREAKING: Avatar 3 is titled “Avatar: Fire and Ash” #D23 pic.twitter.com/pSFE0m6ved
— IGN (@IGN) August 10, 2024
Avatar: Fire and Ash is set to release on December 19, 2025, and Cameron confirmed late last year that it's still on track for that date. It's currently filming in New Zealand.
Cameron was joined on stage by stars Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington, although Cameron had the most to say about the upcoming installment. He teased that the new film "is not what you expect, but it is what you want."
"I can’t wait to show you what we’ve been doing for Avatar 3," Cameron said on stage. "Every day when I review new shots, it’s like Christmas morning, they are so amazing. The characters are so alive. It feels so real."
"As you’d expect, it’s this insane adventure that also has high emotional stakes, more than ever before," he continued. "We are going into challenging territories. There are new characters, and one you’ll love to hate. New cultures and settings and biomes and more of Pandora."
He added that it's "too soon" to show off footage, although he did display some concept art with the title reveal. The new title doesn't tell us too much, although it is a hint to the fire Na'vi that late Avatar producer Jon Landau teased would be a focus of the next film.
Avatar: The Way of Water released in late 2022 to stellar box office results, crossing the $2 billion mark worldwide. IGN gave it an 8/10, calling it "a clear improvement on its predecessor and, though its story isn’t breaking new ground, its jaw-dropping visuals make this an irresistible return to Pandora."
For more out of D23 2024, check out our roundup of everything announced at the massive Disney Entertainment Showcase.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
