A low-quality trailer for “Avatar: Fire and Ash” has leaked online, but for anyone hoping James Cameron would finally shake up the formula, prepare for déjà vu. The footage showcases more dazzling vistas of Pandora, new tribes, and sweeping action, but it’s becoming harder and harder to tell these movies apart.
The film introduces the fiery Ash People, a Na’vi clan that has “forsaken Eywa,” mixed up against the Wind Traders, who represent a more peaceful side of Pandora. The conflict feels eerily familiar. I’m sure once an official trailer pops up online, the visuals will look more stunning in high-res, but for all its technical beauty, the trailer seems like a carbon copy of ‘The Way of Water.’
“Avatar: The Way of Water,” released in late 2022, cost $400M to produce, and turned out to be the year’s most profitable movie, in the end grossing $2.3 billion worldwide. In addition, it placed James Cameron as the only filmmaker in history to have three movies among the top 20 highest-grossing of all time.
‘The Way of Water’ was seen as a major risk by many in the industry, but Cameron proved skeptics wrong, yet again. The result is that three more ‘Avatar’ movies are in the works, set for release in the next six years. ‘Avatar 3’ in December 2025, ‘Avatar 4’ will hit theaters in December 2029, followed by ‘Avatar 5’ in December 2031.
More recently, Cameron confirmed plans for ‘Avatar 6’ and ‘Avatar 7.’ The filmmaker will be 76 by the time the fifth one is released. The good news is that it sounds like he won’t be directing 6 and 7, stating he’ll be “passing the baton” to another filmmaker, or so he says. He’ll probably still have a major say in their creative direction. We need more original stories from Cameron.
Disney is reportedly planning an official trailer drop later this summer, possibly attached to “Fantastic Four: First Steps.” At this point, the ‘Avatar’ saga feels less like an evolving loop. For diehards, and there are millions of them, that might be enough. For everyone else, ‘Fire & Ash’ risks becoming just another chapter in a series that, despite the scale, is starting to frustrate.
‘Fire & Ash’ is slated for a December 19, 2025, release.
Cory Finley, a talented filmmaker, has directed three films so far: "Thoroughbreds" (2017), "Bad Education” (2020), and "Landscape with Invisible Hand.”