Avatar: Fire and Ash | |
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Directed by | James Cameron |
Screenplay by |
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Story by |
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Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Russell Carpenter |
Edited by |
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Music by | Simon Franglen |
Production company | |
Distributed by | 20th Century Studios |
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Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $250 million [1] |
Avatar: Fire and Ash is an upcoming American epic science fiction film co-produced, co-edited, co-written, and directed by James Cameron. [2] Distributed by 20th Century Studios, it is the sequel to Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) and the third installment in the Avatar film series.
Cameron had been producing the film with Jon Landau. Cameron, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Josh Friedman, and Shane Salerno were involved in the writing process. Cast members Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, and Giovanni Ribisi reprise their roles from previous films, while David Thewlis and Oona Chaplin portray new characters.
Cameron, who had stated in 2006 that he would like to make sequels to Avatar (2009) if it were successful, announced the first two sequels in 2010 following the widespread success of the first film, with the then-untitled Avatar 3 aiming for a 2015 release. [3] [4] However, the addition of two more sequels (four in total), 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. [5] Avatar: Fire and Ash started shooting simultaneously with Avatar: The Way of Water in New Zealand on September 25, 2017; filming completed in late December 2020, after over three years of shooting.
The film's theatrical release has been subject to nine delays, with the latest occurring on June 13, 2023; [6] it is scheduled for release on December 19, 2025. [2] [7] Two additional sequels, Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 , are in various stages of production and are expected to be released in 2029 and 2031, respectively.
David Thewlis has been cast as Peylak, a Na'vi character who will be featured in Avatar Fire and Ash along with Avatar 4 and 5. [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] Oona Chaplin will portray Varang, the Na'vi leader of a volcano-dwelling "Ash People" clan. [43] [44] [45] [46] The film will also see the return of Payakan, the Tulkun who befriends Lo'ak. [26]
In 2006, James Cameron stated that if Avatar was successful, he hoped to make two sequels to the film. [3] In 2010, he said the film's widespread success confirmed that he would do so. [4] The sequels were originally scheduled for release in December 2014 and 2015. [5] He included certain scenes in the first film for future story follow-ups. [3] [47] Cameron planned to shoot the sequels back-to-back and to begin work "once the novel is nailed down". [48] The sequels were confirmed as continuing to follow the characters of Jake and Neytiri in December 2009. [49] Cameron implied that the humans would return as the antagonists of the story. [50] In 2011, Cameron stated his intention to film the sequels at a higher frame rate than the industry standard 24 frames per second, in order to add a heightened sense of reality. [51]
In 2013, Cameron announced that the sequels would be filmed in New Zealand, with performance capture to take place in 2014. An agreement with the New Zealand government required at least one world premiere to be held in Wellington and at least NZ$500 million (approximately US$410 million at December 2013 exchange rates) to be spent on production activity in New Zealand, including live-action filming and visual effects. The New Zealand government announced it would raise its baseline tax rebate for filmmaking from 15% to 20%, with 25% available to international productions in some cases and 40% for New Zealand productions (as defined by section 18 of the New Zealand Film Commission Act 1978). [52] [53]
In February 2016, production of the sequels was scheduled to begin in April 2016 in New Zealand. [54] Cinematographer Russell Carpenter, who worked with Cameron on True Lies and Titanic , and art director Aashrita Kamath, joined as crew members for the four sequels. [55] [56] [57] Kirk Krack, founder of Performance Freediving International, worked as a free-diving trainer for the cast and crew for the underwater scenes. [58] On July 31, 2017, it was announced that the New Zealand-based visual effects studio Weta Digital had commenced work on the Avatar sequels. [59]
Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver were originally announced as Cameron's co-writers; it was later announced that Cameron, Jaffa, Silver, Josh Friedman, and Shane Salerno took a part in the writing process of all of the sequels before being assigned to finish the separate scripts, making the eventual writing credits unclear. [60] [61] [62] [63] [64] However, Josh Friedman announced in November 2015, via his Twitter, that he co-wrote Fire and Ash. [65] [ non-primary source needed ] In November 2022, Friedman announced that he actually had co-written the screenplay for the fourth film. [66] [ non-primary source needed ]
In November 2018, BBC News reported that Avatar: The Seed Bearer was a potential title for the film after getting a scoop for the future plans. [67] Three months later, Cameron told Entertainment Tonight that it is in consideration and no final decision was made at that time. [68] On August 9, 2024, the official title of the film was revealed by Cameron as Avatar: Fire and Ash at the D23 fan convention. [69] Cameron said of the title "I don't think I could say too much about it until you actually see the film and you see what it means, but if you think of fire as hatred, anger, violence, that sort of thing, and ash is the aftermath. So what's the aftermath? Grief, loss, right? And then what does that cause in the future? More violence, more anger, more hatred. It's a vicious cycle. So that's the thinking." [70]
Cameron wanted to explore "different cultures" from the first two Avatar films by including "Ash People"—fiery versions of Na'vi. He chose them to add "another angle" as enemies because Cameron previously took Na'vi "good sides" and humans on another. [71] Landau said:
"There are good humans, and there are bad humans—the same thing on the Na'avi [ sic ] side—but oftentimes, people don't see themselves as bad. What is the root cause of how they evolve into what we perceive as bad? Maybe there are other factors there that we're not aware of." [45]
Cameron also said that:
The big [creative] advance in ['Fire and Ash'] is just going to be greater character depth," Cameron said. "We're seeing new cultures, new creatures—all the same stuff you'd expect from an 'Avatar' movie, but the whole idea of this cycle of films is to live with these people and go on this epic journey with them. So I think it's not about, 'We're going to show you the best water [VFX] ever done'—but you get more into the heart and soul of the characters. And there's some very interesting new characters that come in as well. This is a journey over time. It will play out through movie three, into movie four and movie five. There's an epic cycle to the whole thing. [72]
Champion said of reading the script for Fire and Ash:
"I was very shocked by it. It just takes a hard left turn, and that's not a bad thing. You think you know where it's going, but then a wrecking ball comes. So you're completely like, 'Oh wow, I never thought that would've happened.' You also see more regions of Pandora, and you get introduced to more cultures. So I think it's even better than Avatar 2. Collectively, they'll each get better." [73]
Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña were confirmed in January 2010 to have signed on to reprise their roles in the sequels. [47] Cameron also stated that Sigourney Weaver would be featured in all three sequels (the fourth one was not planned at the time) and that her character Grace Augustine would be alive, but it was later revealed she would instead be playing Kiri, Jake and Neytiri's adopted daughter. [10] [74] In August 2017, in an interview with Empire, Cameron revealed that Stephen Lang would not only be returning in all four sequels but he would also be the main villain in all four films. [75]
In August 2017, Matt Gerald had officially signed on to portray his first film's role Corporal Lyle Wainfleet in all upcoming sequels. [76] On October 3, 2017, Kate Winslet had signed on in all four sequels for an unspecified role in the film. [77] Cameron commented, "Kate and I had been looking for something to do together for 20 years, since our collaboration on Titanic, which was one of the most rewarding of my career", and added that her character was named Ronal. [15] [16] [78] On January 25, 2018, Dileep Rao was confirmed to return as Dr. Max Patel. [35] Winslet commented that her role was "relatively small comparative to the lengthy shoot", as she would only have one month of shootings, but also "a pivotal character in the ongoing story". [79]
In June 2017, Oona Chaplin joined the cast as Varang, "a strong and vibrant central character who spans the entire saga of the sequels" starting with Fire and Ash. [43] [80] Eiza González also auditioned for Chaplin's role. [81] In April 2018, David Thewlis revealed his involvement in the franchise, stating that he would be featured in three of the four sequels, later stating in January 2020 that his character was a Na'vi. [37] [38] [40] This led to Thewlis being largely reported as part of the cast of Avatar: The Way of Water; however, he stated in June 2020 that the reports were wrong, and that he would actually be a part of Avatar Fire and Ash up to 5. [42]
Principal photography on Avatar: The Way of Water and Fire and Ash began simultaneously on September 25, 2017, in Manhattan Beach, California. [82] On November 14, 2018, Cameron announced filming with the principal performance capture cast had been completed. [83] Most filming on the next two sequels will begin after wrapping the post-production on first two sequels. [84] [85] According to producer Jon Landau, live-action filming for Avatar: Fire and Ash and its predecessor commenced in New Zealand in early 2019. [86] On March 17, 2020, Landau announced that the filming of the Avatar sequel films in New Zealand had been postponed indefinitely in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also confirmed that production would remain in Los Angeles. [87] However, work on visual effects continued at Weta Digital in Wellington. [88]
In early May, health and safety production protocols had been endorsed by the New Zealand government, allowing filming to resume in the country. [89] On May 31, part of the Avatar crew including James Cameron were granted entry into New Zealand under a special visa category for border exemptions for foreigners deemed essential to a project of "significant economic value". [90] On June 1, 2020, Landau posted a picture of himself and Cameron on Instagram, showing that they had returned to New Zealand to resume filming. After their arrival, all 55 crew members who had traveled to New Zealand started a 2-week government-supervised isolation period at a hotel in Wellington before they would resume filming. This would make Avatar: The Way of Water and Avatar: Fire and Ash the first major Hollywood blockbusters to resume production after postponing filming due to the pandemic. [91] [ non-primary source needed ] [92] [93] [94] In September 2020, Cameron announced that 95% of Avatar: Fire and Ash had been completed. [95] [96] Filming wrapped in December 2020. [97]
In February 2024, Cameron gave the following update on Avatar: Fire and Ash:
It's pretty much in the can. We're shooting pick-ups on [Fire and Ash], which is just filling in the last 2 or 3%, and we've also got live-action pick-ups in June, that's another couple percent. We've got about a quarter of movie 4 in the can. We're post on [Fire and Ash] and now doing the VFX, which is an enormous job. I'll need every second between now and then to get it done. The tech has reached the point right now where it's really what we need. We make little improvements as we go along, but we're there. The whole point is we jumped back, that's why we spent seven years building to it and four years shooting the two films together. It's not about the technology, but about the minds and eyes of the computer artists. It's a very, very creative process—it's artistry. Thousands of people are involved and conducting the orchestra to get it all pitch perfect right now. [98]
In early July 2022, the New Zealand Film Commission acknowledged that the Avatar sequels had received over NZ$140 million worth of taxpayer funding via the country's Screen Production Grant. By comparison, The Hobbit trilogy had received NZ$161 million in film subsidies. While ACT party deputy leader Brooke van Velden criticised the Government's film subsidy programme for allegedly diverting public funding from other areas, the Economic Development and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash argued that New Zealand's film subsidies for major Hollywood products brought substantial overseas investment and jobs for the New Zealand film industry. [99]
In August 2021, Landau announced that Simon Franglen would compose the score for the Avatar sequels. [100] [101]
Avatar: Fire and Ash is scheduled to be released on December 19, 2025, by 20th Century Studios. [7] [102] Like its predecessor, the film was subject to multiple delays (this time it consisted of nine delays) since the crew took more time on the writing, pre-production and visual effects process. It was originally scheduled for December 2015, [8] until Cameron pushed the release to 2016, 2017 and 2018. [103] In April 2016, coinciding with the launch of four Avatar sequels, a new release date of December 2020 was announced. [104] The following year, a new release date of December 17, 2021, was announced, with the recurring sequels: Avatar4 and 5 releasing on December 20, 2024, and December 19, 2025, respectively. [2] However, following the announcement in May 2019 of three new Star Wars films, [105] the sequels' release dates were pushed back by two years, with Avatar: Fire and Ash, being scheduled to be released on December 22, 2023. [106] The release date was again deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in August 2020, a new release of December 20, 2024, was announced. [107] [108] Another delay was announced on June 13, 2023, this time due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, pushing the film to December 19, 2025. [7] [102] Avatar: Fire and Ash and its forthcoming sequels will be released in Dolby Vision. [109]
In December 2022, shortly after Avatar: The Way of Water was released, it was stated that James Cameron's first cut of Avatar: Fire and Ash had a running time of nine hours. [110] Cameron later clarified that the nine hours of material referred to Avatar: Fire and Ash, Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 being each three-hour films for a total of nine hours. [111] [112] He revealed in an interview with 20 minutes that the film would feature new Na'vi people, called the 'Ash people', who will be the antagonists of the film. [113]
Avatar: Fire and Ash is the second of four planned sequels to Avatar. Avatar 4 and Avatar 5, the third and fourth sequels, are planned to follow after the Avatar: Fire and Ash's release. Although the last two sequels had been reportedly green-lit, Cameron stated in a November 26, 2017, interview: "Let's face it, if Avatar 2 and 3 don't make enough money, there's not going to be a 4 and 5." [114] David Thewlis later confirmed this in February 2018, stating "they're making 2 and 3, they're gonna see if people go and see them, and then they'll make 4 and 5". [37] Conversely, Sigourney Weaver stated in November 2018, after the first two sequels had completed main photography, that she was currently "busy doing Avatar 4 and 5", which several media outlets interpreted as confirmation that the last two sequels had started filming. [115] [116] [117]
In January 2019, in face of the proposed acquisition of 21st Century Fox by The Walt Disney Company, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that both Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 were being developed but had not been officially green-lit. [118] According to producer Jon Landau in February 2019, Iger may have been misinterpreted. He said that Avatar 4 and 5 "are not only [greenlit]" but also a third of Avatar 4 has already been filmed. [85]
In September 2022, at the D23 Expo, Cameron announced that production for Avatar 4 had officially begun. [119] In January 2024, Cameron said that he will not start filming the remainder of Avatar 4 until Fire and Ash is released. [120]
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian filmmaker. He is a major figure in the post-New Hollywood era and often uses novel technologies with a classical filmmaking style. He first gained recognition for writing and directing The Terminator (1984), and found further success with Aliens (1986), The Abyss (1989), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), and True Lies (1994), as well as Avatar (2009) and its sequels. He directed, wrote, co-produced, and co-edited Titanic (1997), winning Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing. He is a recipient of various other industry accolades, and three of his films have been selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
Jon Landau was an American film producer, who won an Academy Award for Best Picture for producing James Cameron's epic romantic disaster film Titanic (1997). He was also nominated for producing Cameron's epic science fiction films Avatar (2009) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). As of 2024, these are three of the four highest-grossing films of all time.
Samuel Henry John Worthington is an Australian actor. He is known for playing Jake Sully in the Avatar franchise, Marcus Wright in Terminator Salvation, and Perseus in Clash of the Titans and its sequel Wrath of the Titans.
Avatar is a 2009 epic science fiction film co-produced, co-edited, written, and directed by James Cameron. The cast includes Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver. It is the first installment in the Avatar film series. It is set in the mid-22nd century, when humans are colonizing Pandora, a lush habitable moon of a gas giant in the Alpha Centauri star system, in order to mine the valuable unobtanium, a room-temperature superconductor mineral. The expansion of the mining colony threatens the continued existence of a local tribe of Na'vi, a humanoid species indigenous to Pandora. The title of the film refers to a genetically engineered Na'vi body operated from the brain of a remotely located human that is used to interact with the natives of Pandora.
Lightstorm Entertainment, Inc. is an American independent production company founded in 1990 by filmmaker James Cameron and producer Lawrence Kasanoff. The majority of its films have been distributed and owned by 20th Century Fox, now known as 20th Century Studios. It has produced several films including Terminator 2: Judgment Day, True Lies, Titanic, Alita: Battle Angel and the Avatar film series; Cameron has employed other filmmakers to produce and direct films under the Lightstorm banner.
In the 2009 science-fiction film Avatar, director James Cameron conceived a fictional universe in which humans seek to mine unobtanium on the fictional habitable moon Pandora. The Earth-like moon is inhabited by a sapient indigenous humanoid species called the Na'vi, as well as varied fauna and flora. Resources Development Administration scientists, administrators, recruits, support, and security personnel travel to Pandora in the 22nd century to discover this beautiful, lush world, which is inhabited by many lifeforms including the human-like Na'vi. The clan with which the humans have contact in the film lives "in a giant tree that sits on a vast store of a mineral called unobtainium, which humans want as an energy supply." Cameron has described Avatar as more "science fantasy" than true science fiction and has said that he would explain in the novel for the film why in the fictional universe the Na'vi look like humans.
Colonel Miles Quaritch is a fictional character in the American science fiction franchise Avatar created by Canadian filmmaker James Cameron. He serves as the main antagonist of the 2009 film Avatar and its 2022 sequel Avatar: The Way of Water, and will appear in its upcoming sequels, including the third and currently untitled fourth films. In all his appearances, including in the 2009 film's tie-in video game Avatar: The Game, the character is portrayed by American actor Stephen Lang, who won Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Quaritch in the first film at the 36th Saturn Awards.
Jake Sully, or Tsyeyk te Suli in the Naʼvi language, is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the American epic science fiction film franchise Avatar, created by James Cameron. Portrayed by Sam Worthington in Avatar (2009) and its sequels, including Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), the upcoming Avatar: Fire and Ash, and the currently untitled Avatar 4 and Avatar 5.
Avatar: The Way of Water is a 2022 epic science fiction film co-produced, co-edited, and directed by James Cameron, who co-wrote the screenplay with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver from a story the trio wrote with Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno. Distributed by 20th Century Studios, it is the sequel to Avatar (2009) and the second installment in the Avatar film series. It features Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao and Matt Gerald reprising their roles from the first film, with Sigourney Weaver returning in an additional role and Kate Winslet joining the cast. It follows a blue-skinned humanoid Na'vi named Jake Sully (Worthington) as he and his family, under renewed human threat, seek refuge with the aquatic Metkayina clan of Pandora, a habitable exomoon on which they live.
This Ain't Avatar is a 2010 3D science fiction sex comedy parody film that parodies James Cameron's Avatar, to which it serves as a spiritual sequel. The film was shot, edited, and directed by Axel Braun and stars an ensemble cast headed by Chris Johnson as Jake, the main human character. It was produced by Hustler Video. Industry reviewers noted that the release used old-style rather than modern 3D technology and faulted it for its poor production quality.
Pandora – The World of Avatar is a themed area inspired by James Cameron's Avatar located within Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Set generations into the future after the events of the Avatar films, the area is based upon the fictional habitable exomoon, Pandora, and features Pandora's floating mountains, alien wildlife, and bioluminescent plants. Spanning 12 acres (4.9 ha), Pandora – The World of Avatar includes two major attractions, Avatar Flight of Passage and Na'vi River Journey, as well as retail and dining outlets.
Avatar is an American epic science fiction media franchise created by James Cameron, which began with the eponymous 2009 film. Produced by Lightstorm Entertainment and distributed by 20th Century Studios, it consists of associated merchandise, video games, and theme park attractions. Avatar is set in the mid-22nd century on Pandora, a lush habitable moon of a gas giant in the Alpha Centauri star system. The films' central conflict is between the indigenous Na'vi led by Jake Sully and Neytiri, and humans led by Colonel Miles Quaritch from the Resources Development Administration (RDA), a megacorp which has arrived on Pandora to colonize and pillage it for its natural resources. The title of the series refers to the genetically engineered Na'vi body operated from the brain that humans pilot to interact with on Pandora.
Alita: Battle Angel is a 2019 American cyberpunk action film based on Yukito Kishiro's manga series Gunnm. It was directed by Robert Rodriguez, produced by James Cameron and Jon Landau, and written by Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis. Rosa Salazar stars through motion-capture animation as Alita, a cyborg who awakens in a new body without memory of her past and sets out to uncover her destiny. Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley and Keean Johnson play supporting roles.
Britain Dalton is an American actor known for his role as Lo’ak, the second son of Jake Sully and Neytiri, in the science fiction film Avatar: The Way of Water (2022).
Avatar 4 is an upcoming American epic science fiction film co-written, co-edited, co-produced and directed by James Cameron. Distributed by 20th Century Studios, it will be the sequel to Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) and the fourth installment in the Avatar film series.
Neytiri te Tskaha Mo'at'ite is a fictional character in the Avatar franchise, created by James Cameron. She is portrayed by Zoe Saldaña.
Jack Champion is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Spider, a human teenager living on Pandora, who first appeared in Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). He also played Ethan Landry in the slasher film Scream VI (2023).
Lego Avatar is a Lego theme based on the film series of the same name created by James Cameron. It is licensed from 20th Century Studios, The Walt Disney Company and Lightstorm Entertainment. The theme was first introduced on 1 October 2022. Subsequent sets were released in 2023, alongside the next film, Avatar: The Way of Water.
Avatar: The Way of Water is the soundtrack album to the 2022 epic science fiction film Avatar: The Way of Water, directed and co-produced by James Cameron, a sequel to Avatar (2009). The album featured an original score composed by Simon Franglen and original music by Canadian singer–songwriter the Weeknd. Franglen, a friend of composer James Horner who previously composed the score for Avatar, had worked as a record producer and arranger for that film and afterwards, took on scoring duties for The Way of Water and the forthcoming sequels in Avatar franchise, following Horner's death in a plane crash in June 2015.
Bailey Bass is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Tsireya in Avatar: The Way of Water and Claudia in the first season of the television series Interview with the Vampire.