| Avatar: Fire and Ash | |
|---|---|
| Theatrical release poster | |
| 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 [b] |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Studios |
Release dates |
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Running time | 197 minutes [3] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $350–400 million [c] |
| Box office | $1.490 billion [8] [9] |
Avatar: Fire and Ash is a 2025 American epicscience fiction film directed by James Cameron from a screenplay he co-wrote with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. Produced by Lightstorm Entertainment, it is the third installment in the Avatar film series and the sequel to Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). The film features Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet reprising their roles from previous films. The story follows the human-turned-Na'vi Jake Sully and his family on the habitable moon Pandora, as they face the combined threat of the human RDA forces and the Mangkwan, a ruthless Na'vi clan.
Following the box office success of Avatar (2009), Cameron announced two sequels, with Avatar 3 aiming for a December 2015 release. However, the addition of two further sequels and the development of new performance capture technology required to film scenes underwater led to significant delays to allow the crew more time to work on writing, pre-production, and visual effects. Avatar: Fire and Ash started shooting simultaneously with The Way of Water in New Zealand on September 25, 2017, and filming wrapped in late December 2020. With an estimated production budget of at least $350 million, it is one of the most expensive films ever made.
Avatar: Fire and Ash had its world premiere at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, on December 1, 2025, and was released in the United States on December 19 by 20th Century Studios. Critical response was mixed to positive, with praise for the visual effects and spectacle, but criticism for its runtime and for repeating the narrative beats of its predecessors. It was a box office success, grossing $1.490 billion worldwide and becoming the third-highest-grossing film of 2025, as well as the 16th-highest-grossing film of all time. It is the lowest-grossing film of the Avatar series. The film won Best Visual Effects at the 98th Academy Awards and was also nominated for Best Costume Design. It received two nominations at the 83rd Golden Globes, and was named as one of the top ten films of 2025 by the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review.
Two sequels, Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 , are scheduled for release in 2029 and 2031, respectively, though their status is dependent on the box office performance of Fire and Ash.
Shortly after the death of Jake and Neytiri's eldest son Neteyam, [d] the Sully family grieves amongst the Metkayina, with Neytiri developing a deeper hatred toward humans. After Spider's breathing mask runs out of power during his sleep, Jake and Neytiri decide he must return to the human scientist camp for his safety. The Sully family accompanies him on the trip aboard a fleet of flying merchant vessels.
The merchant convoy is ambushed by raiders of the Mangkwan, an aggressive Na'vi clan. Led by their matriarch Varang, the Mangkwan loot and set fire to the ships, killing many and scattering the Sully family. After Miles Quaritch captures Jake, the two work together to locate Spider. Meanwhile, Spider collapses when his mask loses power, motivating Jake's adopted daughter Kiri to spontaneously infuse his body with mycelia, which gives him the ability to breathe Pandora's air.
The Mangkwan capture Quaritch, Jake and the children, after which Quaritch teaches Varang how to use guns. Kiri commands nearby flora to kill their guards, enabling everyone to escape. The human scientists Norm Spellman and Max Patel believe Spider's mycelia could be reverse engineered to allow other humans to breathe on Pandora. Kiri learns that she was born from Eywa, but is blocked from connecting with her. Quaritch offers guns and flamethrowers to the Mangkwan and convinces them to form an alliance, then begins a physical relationship with Varang.
Kiri helps Spider explore his newfound ability to neurally connect with other organisms, and they share a kiss. Quaritch captures Spider, then arrives at the Metkayina village with the Mangkwan, demanding that Jake turn himself in. Jake surrenders to avoid bloodshed, and he and Spider are taken to the Resources Development Administration (RDA) base. Jake's son Lo'ak searches for Payakan ahead of a Tulkun congregation that will be targeted by RDA hunters.
Spider undergoes testing by RDA scientists, while Jake is scheduled to be executed. Neytiri infiltrates the RDA base, and RDA biologist Ian Garvin liberates Jake. After Neytiri, Jake and Spider escape, Jake regretfully prepares to kill Spider, so the RDA cannot learn any more about his breathing abilities. However, Jake cannot bring himself to kill his adopted son, and he and Neytiri embrace Spider.
At the Metkayina village, the Tulkun council hear Jake's warning about an impending massacre, but decide not to change their pacifist ways. Lo'ak brings Payakan and Tan'ok, a disfigured Tulkun survivor of a hunting raid, and the Tulkun elders reconsider. Jake re-bonds with the apex predator Toruk and rallies the Na'vi clans to battle. When the RDA fleet arrives for the hunt, the Tulkun and Na'vi ambush them. However, Quaritch and the Mangkwan arrive and turn the tide in their favor. The Metkayina matriarch Ronal is wounded and dies in childbirth, with Neytiri delivering her baby, Pril, before being captured.
With the help of Spider and Jake's daughter Tuk, Kiri finally communicates with Eywa and pleads for help. In answer, the Pandoran wildlife ambush the rest of the RDA forces, saving the cornered Tulkun. Varang tries to kill Neytiri, but is repelled by Kiri. Tan'ok kills the lead Tulkun hunter Mick Scorseby. Jake and Quaritch are thrown into a magnetic flux, which is destroying the remaining RDA vessels. As Jake and Quaritch fight, Spider falls off a floating rock, forcing them to work together to save him. When Neytiri and her children arrive, Quaritch throws himself off the rock.
After the battle, Spider and the Metkayina connect to the underwater spirit trees, where Spider meets all the deceased Na'vi. Kiri introduces Spider to her mother, Grace, and they initiate him into the Na'vi people.
Briefly reprising their roles from the first film are Wes Studi as Eytukan, the chief of the Omaticaya and Neytiri's father, and Laz Alonso as Tsu'tey, Eytukan's successor.
Following the box office success of Avatar (2009), Cameron announced two sequels, which were originally scheduled for release in 2014 and 2015. [n] He said he would shoot the sequels back-to-back and at a higher frame rate than the industry standard 24 frames per second, in order to add a heightened sense of reality. [o] In late 2013, he announced that the sequels would be filmed in New Zealand, with performance capture filming 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 (roughly US$410 million) to be spent on production activity in New Zealand, including live-action filming and visual effects. The government announced it would raise its baseline tax rebate for filmmaking from 15% to 20%, with 25% available to international productions in some cases. [53] [54]
By February 2016, production of the sequels was scheduled to begin that April. [55] New crew members for the sequels included cinematographer Russell Carpenter, who worked with Cameron on True Lies (1994) and Titanic (1997), and art director Aashrita Kamath. [p] Kirk Krack, founder of Performance Freediving International, worked as a free-diving trainer for the cast and crew for the underwater scenes. [59] On July 31, 2017, it was announced that the New Zealand-based visual effects studio Weta Digital had commenced work on the Avatar sequels. [60]
In a 2023 interview, Cameron announced that the film would feature a new Na'vi clan, called the "Ash people", who would be antagonists in the film. [61] On August 9, 2024, the title of the film was announced by Cameron at the D23 Disney fan convention. [62] Cameron said "fire" refers to hatred, anger and violence, while "ash" refers to grief and loss. [63] [64]
Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver were originally announced as Cameron's co-writers. It was later announced that Jaffa, Silver, Josh Friedman, and Shane Salerno all played a role in the writing process for all the films before being assigned to finish separate scripts. [q] According to Cameron, Fire and Ash was split from Avatar: The Way of Water due to an excessive amount of material. [70]
When writing Fire and Ash, Cameron prioritized character development over novel spectacles. [71] He introduced the Mangkwan, or "Ash People"—a ruthless, warmongering clan of Na'vi inspired by the Baining people of Papua New Guinea—because he wanted the film series to move beyond the paradigm of "all humans are bad, all Na'vi are good". [r] He said the nomadic merchant Wind Traders were inspired by camel caravans of the Spice Road during the Middle Ages. [74] [75] After the 2022 Uvalde school shooting in Texas, Cameron rewrote parts of Fire and Ash to avoid glorifying gun violence and "fetishizing" assault weapons. Originally, the Metkayina decided to use guns to defend the Tulkun, but Cameron changed the script, choosing to have the clan reject firearms instead. Cameron said he did not want guns to "contaminate" the Na'vi culture. After audiences responded positively to the Tulkun character Payakan in The Way of Water, Cameron made changes to Fire and Ash so he would be featured more prominently in the story. [76] [77]
When they were cast for Avatar, Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña had signed on for future sequels. [10] 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. [13] [78] In August 2017, in an interview with Empire , Cameron announced that Stephen Lang would not only be returning in all four sequels but he would also be the main antagonist in all four films. [79]
In August 2017, Matt Gerald had officially signed on to portray his first film's role Corporal Lyle Wainfleet in all upcoming sequels. [45] On October 3, 2017, Kate Winslet had signed on for an undisclosed number of films in an unspecified role. [20] 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. [20] [80] On January 25, 2018, Dileep Rao was confirmed to return as Dr. Max Patel. [46] 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". [81]
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. [16] [82] Eiza González also auditioned for Chaplin's role. [83] On casting the relatively unknown Chaplin, Cameron explained, "There was something [Chaplin] just locked into. There's a sexuality; there's a dominating psychology, and there's a lot of fury. There are a lot of layers to what she's doing there and the forces that are driving her. Oona was able to move fluidly back and forth between those in a way that I wasn't seeing with the others." [84] In April 2018, David Thewlis announced 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. [85] [86] [87] This led to Thewlis being largely reported as part of the cast of The Way of Water. However, he stated in June 2020 that the reports were wrong, and that he would actually be a part of Fire and Ash up to 5. [36]
Principal photography began simultaneously with The Way of Water on September 25, 2017, in Manhattan Beach, California. [88] On November 14, 2018, Cameron announced filming with the principal performance capture cast had been completed. [89] Most filming on the fourth and fifth films will begin after wrapping the post-production on the first two sequels. [90] [91] According to producer Jon Landau, live-action filming for Fire and Ash and its predecessor commenced in New Zealand in early 2019. [92] On March 17, 2020, Landau announced that filming in New Zealand had been postponed indefinitely in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also confirmed that production would remain in Los Angeles. [93] However, work on visual effects continued at Wētā FX [s] in Wellington. [94]
In early May, health and safety production protocols had been endorsed by the New Zealand government, allowing filming to resume in the country. [95] On May 31, part of the Avatar crew, including 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". [96] 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. [t] In September 2020, Cameron announced that 95% of Avatar: Fire and Ash had been completed. [101] [102] Filming wrapped in December 2020. [103]
Following the December 2022 release of The Way of Water, Cameron decided to partially rewrite Fire and Ash to incorporate scenes involving the creature Toruk, which was introduced in Avatar. [104] Cameron also expanded the role of the whale-like character Payakan after he proved popular in The Way of Water. [105] In February 2024, Cameron said principal photography was essentially completed, and that the crew was shooting pick-ups for Fire and Ash. [106]
In August 2021, Landau announced that Simon Franglen would compose the score for the Avatar sequels. [107] [108] In October 2025, it was announced that Miley Cyrus would write an original song for the film, titled "Dream as One", co-written with Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt. [109] It was released on November 14, 2025, and plays during the end credits. [110] The soundtrack was released on December 5, 2025. [111] [112] A second original song, "The Future and the Past", composed by Franglen and sung in the fictional Naʼvi language by Saldaña, closes the album. [113]
It was reported that approximately $150 million had been allocated as the marketing budget for the film. [5]
In late July 2025, the teaser trailer was officially released exclusively in theaters before screenings of The Fantastic Four: First Steps and online on July 28. [114] [115] [116] The trailer received positive responses from critics and fansites, particularly focusing on the visuals. [114] The theatrical trailer was released on September 25. [117] [118] [119]
In October 2025, Avatar: The Way of Water was re-released in theaters, with one of three clips from Fire and Ash randomly inserted as a mid-credits scene. One of the scenes showed Quaritch approaching an encampment of Ash Na'vi and having a confrontation with Varang. Another of the scenes showed Sully's family boarding a Windtrader ship and meeting with Peylak. A third scene started with the Sully family flying in the Windtrader ships when they are attacked by Ash Na'vi. [120]
Avatar: Fire and Ash was released in the United States on December 19, 2025, by 20th Century Studios. [121] [122] [123] Like its predecessor, the film was subject to multiple delays (in this case, nine in total) since the crew took more time on the writing, pre-production and visual effects process. It was originally scheduled for December 2015, [10] until Cameron pushed the release to 2016, 2017 and 2018. [124] In April 2016, coinciding with the launch of four Avatar sequels, a new release date of December 2020 was announced. [125] The following year, a new release date of December 17, 2021, was announced, with the recurring sequels: Avatar4 and 5 scheduled for release on December 20, 2024, and December 19, 2025, respectively. [126] However, following the announcement in May 2019 of three new Star Wars films, [127] the sequels' release dates were pushed back by two years, with Avatar: Fire and Ash, being scheduled to be released on December 22, 2023. [128] The release date was again pushed back, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in August 2020, a new release of December 20, 2024, was announced. [129] [130] On June 13, 2023, the film was delayed again to its final date due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. [122] [123] Avatar: Fire and Ash was released in formats, such as Dolby Cinema and IMAX 3D, while its forthcoming sequels will also be released in those formats. [131] [132] [133]
In December 2022, shortly after Avatar: The Way of Water was released, it was said that James Cameron's first cut of Fire and Ash had a running time of nine hours. [134] 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. [135] [136] He later specified that the run time of Fire and Ash would be longer than the 3 hour 12 minute run time of The Way of Water. [70]
The film was delayed to January 8, 2026, in Hong Kong due to the Wang Fuk Court fire, along with its subtitle dropped to avoid insensitivity, [137] [138] making Hong Kong the latest territory to receive a release worldwide. [139] The Australian premiere that was scheduled for December 15, 2025, was cancelled as a result of the 2025 Bondi Beach shooting. [140]
The film was also released in the 4DX format, which incorporates motion-enabled seating and environmental effects such as wind, water, and vibration to accompany on-screen action. These effects are synchronized with key sequences in the film, including aerial and action scenes, to provide an enhanced theatrical presentation. The 4DX format is designed to complement the film's visual elements and is one of several premium viewing options made available alongside standard and three-dimensional formats. [141]
The film is dedicated to editor John Refoua and producer Jon Landau, who died in 2023 [142] and 2024, [143] respectively.
On March 31, 2026, Avatar: Fire and Ash was released for digital download, which contains behind-the-scenes featurettes. It is scheduled to be released on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, and DVD by 20th Century Home Entertainment on May 19, 2026. [u]
In February 2026, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that the film will be available to stream on Disney+ before the end of fiscal year 2026. [149]
As of April 25,2026 [update] , Avatar: Fire and Ash has grossed $404.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $1.086 billion in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.490 billion. [8] [9]
By December 17, 2025, prior to the film's release in the United States and Canada, Deadline Hollywood projected an opening weekend of $340–380 million worldwide; [150] it ended up opening to $347.1 million worldwide. [151] The film made $12 million during Thursday previews in the United States and Canada, $5 million less than the previews for Avatar: The Way of Water . [152] It ended up grossing $89.2 million during its opening weekend in the United States and Canada. [153] Despite leading the box office and grossing more than the 2009 film's weekend debut of $77 million, the film's opening weekend domestic gross was a significant decline from the $134.1 million made by its predecessor in 2022. [152] [154] In its second weekend, Avatar: Fire and Ash retained the top spot at the box office and grossed $63.1 million, [155] a decline of 29% and smaller than its predecessor's second weekend drop of 53%. [156] [157] In its third weekend, Avatar: Fire and Ash once again topped box office with $41.4 million, a decline of 34%. [158] [159] [160] The film topped the box office again in its fourth weekend with $21.5 million, a decline of 49%. [161] [162] It retained the top spot at the box office in its fifth weekend with $14.5 million, declining 33%. [163] [164] In its sixth weekend, Avatar: Fire and Ash was dethroned by Mercy , grossing $6.4 million. [165] [166]
Thanks to Avatar: Fire and Ash, IMAX revenue and operating earnings surged, climbing 35% to $125.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2025, compared to $92.7 million in the 2024 period. The company said that the third Avatar film, which Cameron urged moviegoers to see in IMAX, drove record box office for the quarter, contributing $112 million in ticket sales to become IMAX's highest-grossing Hollywood film. [167]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 66% of 353 critics' reviews are positive.The website's consensus reads: "Remaining on the cutting edge of visual effects, Fire and Ash repeats the narrative beats of its predecessors to frustrating effect, but its grand spectacle continues to stoke one-of-a-kind thrills." [168] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 61 out of 100, based on 59 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [169] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, the same grade as the previous two films. [152]
Publications characterized the film's critical reception as ranging from mixed to positive. [v] Initial reactions were mostly positive, with critics calling the film an "ultimate cinematic spectacle", though there was criticism of the plot. [w] Pete Hammond of Deadline Hollywood praised the film's technical aspects, calling it "a true epic" and "a visual knockout". [181] Max Scoville of IGN wrote that it "isn't the technical leap forward that its predecessor was, which is to be expected after three years instead of thirteen. But what it lacks in novelty, it more than makes up for with refinement on every level." [182] David Ehrlich of IndieWire wrote that it "lack[s] the unprecedented spectacle of its predecessors", adding that it "feels like something you've already seen before", though "naturally finds a way to make [the] journey feel novel and invigorating at times". [183]
Owen Gleiberman of Variety called it a "bolder and tighter" film than its predecessor, praising its "dramatically focused story" and "awesome" action. While acknowledging it lacks the "visually unprecedented" feel of previous entries, he found it a deeply immersive experience. [184] Writing for The New Yorker , Justin Chang described the film as a visually spectacular but "less transporting experience" than its predecessors. He felt the film's length offers immense visual scale, but lacks a sense of meaningful narrative progress or "passage" from one world to the next. [185] Bilge Ebiri of Vulture declared it the "richest" film in the franchise and "the one in which we most lose ourselves, the one that makes us wonder about these characters and constantly peer into those rapturous backgrounds, trying to see forever". [186]
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described Fire and Ash as a "gigantically dull hunk of nonsense". While acknowledging it as a "vast, dazzling spectacle" with "volcanic world-building" and "thunderous action", he criticized it as a long, humorless and emotionally empty experience. [187] Stephanie Zacharek of Time wrote that with Fire and Ash, the franchise has "lost its wonder", and described the film as a "nostalgia trip" and a "calculated" form of déjà vu, suggesting the spectacle has become a tiresome, repetitive "stupor" rather than true magic. [188] Robbie Collin of The Telegraph called the film humorless and "mind-numbing". He said it feels like a "relic of an earlier era" and suggested Cameron "is stuck in a creative cul-de-sac". [189] Writing for The Wall Street Journal , Kyle Smith felt the film "offers little in the way of compelling drama" and called the script "ludicrously weak". [190]
At the 98th Academy Awards, Fire and Ash was nominated for Best Costume Design and won Best Visual Effects. Fire and Ash is the first film in the Avatar series not to be nominated for Best Picture. [x] With twelve award nominations, Fire and Ash was tied with The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Sinners for the most nominations at the 53rd Saturn Awards. [197] Ultimately, the film won five Saturn Awards, including Best Science Fiction Film and Best Film Direction. [198]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | January 10, 2026 | Best Supporting Actress | Sigourney Weaver | Nominated | [199] |
| Academy Awards | March 15, 2026 | Best Costume Design | Deborah L. Scott | Nominated | [191] [192] |
| Best Visual Effects | Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett | Won | |||
| American Cinematheque Tribute to the Crafts Awards | January 16, 2026 | Visual Effects | Avatar: Fire and Ash (Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett) | Honored | [200] |
| American Film Institute Awards | December 4, 2025 | Top 10 Films | Avatar: Fire and Ash | Won [y] | [201] |
| Art Directors Guild Awards | February 28, 2026 | Fantasy Feature Film | Dylan Cole and Ben Procter | Nominated | [202] |
| Astra Midseason Movie Awards | July 3, 2025 | Most Anticipated Film | Avatar: Fire and Ash | Nominated | [203] |
| Austin Film Critics Association | December 18, 2025 | Best Voice Acting/Animated/Digital Performance | Oona Chaplin | Won | [204] [205] |
| Stephen Lang | Nominated | ||||
| Zoe Saldaña | Nominated | ||||
| Best Remake/Franchise Film | Avatar: Fire and Ash | Nominated | |||
| Best Visual Effects | Won | ||||
| Black Reel Awards | February 16, 2026 | Outstanding Voice Performance | Zoe Saldaña | Won | [206] [207] |
| British Academy Film Awards | February 22, 2026 | Best Special Visual Effects | Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett | Won | [208] [209] |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | December 11, 2025 | Best Use of Visual Effects | Avatar: Fire and Ash | Nominated | [210] |
| Costume Designers Guild Awards | February 12, 2026 | Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film | Deborah L. Scott | Nominated | [211] |
| Critics' Choice Awards | January 4, 2026 | Best Visual Effects | Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett | Won | [212] |
| Dorian Awards | March 3, 2026 | Visually Striking Film of the Year | Avatar: Fire and Ash | Nominated | [213] |
| Florida Film Critics Circle | December 19, 2025 | Best Visual Effects | Won | [214] | |
| Golden Globes | January 11, 2026 | Cinematic and Box Office Achievement | Nominated | [215] | |
| Best Original Song | "Dream as One" (Miley Cyrus, Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, and Simon Franglen) | Nominated | |||
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 19, 2025 | Best Original Score in a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film | Simon Franglen | Won | [216] [217] |
| Best Original Song in a Feature Film | "Dream as One" (Miley Cyrus, Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, and Simon Franglen) | Nominated | |||
| Houston Film Critics Society | January 20, 2026 | Best Visual Effects | Avatar: Fire and Ash | Won | [218] |
| International Film Music Critics Association | February 26, 2026 | Score of the Year | Avatar: Fire and Ash (Simon Franglen) | Won | [219] |
| Composition of the Year | "The Windtraders" by Simon Franglen | Won | |||
| Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction Film | Avatar: Fire and Ash (Simon Franglen) | Won | |||
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society | December 19, 2025 | Best Art Direction | Avatar: Fire and Ash | Nominated | [220] [221] |
| Best Visual Effects | Won | ||||
| Lumiere Awards | February 9, 2026 | Best Theatrical Scene or Sequence | "Flux Devil" | Won | [222] |
| National Board of Review | December 3, 2025 | Top 10 Films | Avatar: Fire and Ash | Won [y] | [223] |
| New York Film Critics Online | December 15, 2025 | Best Ensemble Cast | Nominated | [224] [225] | |
| Best Cinematography | Russell Carpenter | Nominated | |||
| Online Film Critics Society | January 26, 2026 | Best Sound Design | Avatar: Fire and Ash | Nominated | [226] |
| Best Visual Effects | Nominated | ||||
| Palm Springs International Film Festival | January 3, 2026 | Outstanding Artistic Achievement Award | Miley Cyrus | Honored | [227] |
| Phoenix Film Critics Society | December 15, 2025 | Best Visual Effects | Avatar: Fire and Ash | Won | [228] |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | December 15, 2025 | Best Sound Design | Nominated | [229] [230] | |
| Best Visual Effects | Won | ||||
| Santa Barbara International Film Festival | February 7, 2026 | Variety Artisans Award | Visual Effects (Eric Saindon) | Honored | [231] |
| Satellite Awards | March 10, 2026 | Best Motion Picture – Drama | Avatar: Fire and Ash | Nominated | [232] [233] |
| Best Director | James Cameron | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Song | "Dream as One" (Miley Cyrus, Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, and Simon Franglen) | Won | |||
| Best Production Design | Dylan Cole and Ben Procter | Nominated | |||
| Best Sound | Brent Burge, Alexis Feodoroff, Michael Hedges, Julian Howarth, Gary Summers, and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle | Nominated | |||
| Best Visual Effects | Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett | Won | |||
| Saturn Awards | March 8, 2026 | Best Science Fiction Film | Avatar: Fire and Ash | Won | [197] [234] [198] |
| Best Film Direction | James Cameron | Won | |||
| Best Actor in a Film | Sam Worthington | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress in a Film | Zoe Saldaña | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor in a Film | Stephen Lang | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Film | Oona Chaplin | Nominated | |||
| Best Younger Performer in a Film | Jack Champion | Won | |||
| Best Film Screenwriting | James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver | Won | |||
| Best Film Editing | James Cameron, John Refoua, Steve Rivkin, Nicolas de Toth, and Jason Gaudio | Nominated | |||
| Best Film Music | Simon Franglen | Nominated | |||
| Best Film Production Design | Dylan Cole and Ben Procter | Nominated | |||
| Best Film Visual / Special Effects | Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett | Won | |||
| Seattle Film Critics Society | December 15, 2025 | Best Action Choreography | Steve Brown, Stuart Thorp, and Garrett Warren | Nominated | [235] [236] |
| Best Visual Effects | Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett | Won | |||
| Set Decorators Society of America Awards | February 21, 2026 | Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Fantasy or Science Fiction Feature Film | Vanessa Cole (Set Decoration); Dylan Cole and Ben Procter (Production Design) | Nominated | [237] |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | December 14, 2025 | Best Visual Effects | Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett | Won | [238] [239] |
| Visual Effects Society | February 25, 2026 | Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature | Richard Baneham, Peter Litvack, Eric Saindon, Nicky Muir, and Steve Ingram | Won | [240] [241] |
| Outstanding Character in a Photoreal Feature | Stephen Clee, Stuart Adcock, Keven Norris, and Joseph Kim (for "Varang: Leader of the Ash Clan") | Won | |||
| Outstanding Environment in a Photoreal Feature | Gianluca Pizzaia, Steve Bevins, Dziga Kaiser, and Zsolt Máté (for "Bridgehead Industrial City") | Won | |||
| Outstanding CG Cinematography | Steve Deane, AJ Briones, Zachary Brake, and Andrew Moffett | Won | |||
| Outstanding Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project | Michael Smale, Sam Sharplin, Joe W. Churchill, and Jacqi Dillon (for "The Windtraders' Gondola") | Won | |||
| Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature | Nicholas Illingworth, Sarah C. Farmer, James Robinson, and Ryan Bowden (for "Simulating Pandora") | Won | |||
| Outstanding Compositing & Lighting in a Feature | Ziad Shureih, Stefano Oggeri, Jaume Creus Costabella, and Hugo Debat-Burkarth (for "Bridgehead Industrial City") | Nominated | |||
| Alex Klaricich, Gianfranco Sgura, Brad Floyd, and Ari Ross (for "The Wind Traders, Bridgehead, Rivers, and Ocean") | Nominated | ||||
| Emerging Technology Award | Christoph Sprenger, Tobias Mack, Florian Fernandez, and Niall Ryan (for "BodyOpt") | Nominated | |||
| Alexey Dmitrievich Stomakhin, John Edholm, Murali Ramachari, and Aleksandr Isakov (for "Kora Fire Toolset") | Won | ||||
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | December 7, 2025 | Best Motion Capture Performance | Oona Chaplin | Nominated | [242] [243] |
| Stephen Lang | Nominated | ||||
| Zoe Saldaña | Won | ||||
| Sigourney Weaver | Nominated | ||||
| Sam Worthington | Nominated |
Fire and Ash is the second of four planned sequels to Avatar. Although the last two sequels had reportedly been 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." [131] 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." [85] 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. [244] [245] [246] Cameron had stated that just like The Way of Water and Fire and Ash "really tell one big story", Avatar 4 and 5 are also intended to "tell one big story." [104]
In January 2019, in the midst of the proposed acquisition of 21st Century Fox by the Walt Disney Company, then-Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that both Avatar 4 and 5 were being developed but had not been officially green-lit. [247] 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. [91] [106]
In September 2022, at the D23 Expo, Cameron announced that production for Avatar 4 had officially begun. [248] In January 2024, Cameron said that he would not start filming the remainder of Avatar 4 until Fire and Ash was released. [249]
In November 2025, Cameron reiterated that the last two sequels would not go ahead if Fire and Ash was unsuccessful at the box office, but that he "will write a book" instead to resolve the "one open thread" the third installment leaves open. [250]
In January 2026, Cameron stopped short of confirming whether Avatar 4 and 5 would officially happen, but did reaffirm Fire and Ash would need to succeed at the box office and added that he would need to figure out a way to make both sequels for a lesser budget, in order to get the approval from the studio. "The movie industry is depressed right now. Avatar 3 cost a lot of money. We have to do well in order to continue. [...] and we need to figure out how to make Avatar movies more inexpensively in order to continue. [...] If we continue and we do 4, we also do 4 and 5 together. So we made 2 and 3 together, one big story, and then 4 and 5 is another big story", he explained. [251] Cameron also confirmed that actress Michelle Yeoh would "definitely" appear in 4, if made, sharing that she would be a Na'vi "performance capture character" named Paktu'eylat. [252] The official Avatar Twitter account first announced her in the role of Dr. Karina Mogue in 2019, [253] but has since changed roles. Yeoh confirmed that she "shot for a few weeks" in 2022. [252]
In March 2026, Cameron provided an update regarding the status of Avatar 4. Although he stated that a final decision had not yet been made by the studio, Cameron confirmed that the sequel is a "very likely" possibility and noted that he would be taking audience feedback into consideration for the next installment. [254] [255] [256] When questioned about the changes he made to Fire and Ash based on the feedback he received from The Way of Water and any potential changes going into future installments, Cameron said, "We haven't even made a decision to move forward. But should I do that, which I will say is likely but not 100%, we will definitely learn from the lessons of all three films." [256]
As of March 20, 2026, according to Disney's then-updated release calendar, Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 are scheduled for release in 2029 and 2031, respectively; Avatar 4 is dated for December 21, while Avatar 5 is dated for December 19. [257]
Ahead of Fire and Ash's digital release on March 31, 2026, producer Rae Sanchini confirmed that both 4 and 5 were progressing into active pre-production, barring a small hiatus to update the visual effects process with new technology, despite calling the announced release dates "tentative". [258]
In April 2026, TheWrap reported that there are ongoing "conversations" on "how to make future Avatar movies cheaper and shorter" than their predecessors so that they are a "less risky" investment for Disney. Though, according to the report, Disney has yet to make a call. [259] "It's all about compare-and-contrast — Fire and Ash made half of what the first movie made. And ticket prices in 2009 were not what they are in 2025. That's the level that James Cameron and the Avatar films are operating in", said Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Comscore, adding, "When an $89 million domestic opening weekend and almost $1.5 billion worldwide would be seen — in any stretch — as a disappointment. That's why there's that perception. These are high-class problems to have." [259]
Let's not forget: The Oscar race is crowded with awards-hungry releases. [...] The film's reported $400 million-plus budget and franchise obligations mean it needs to be a four-quadrant blockbuster first, an Oscar contender second.
Disney spent a massive $350 million to produce and roughly $150 million to promote...
With a production budget of at least $400 million, Fire and Ash is one of the costliest movies ever made.
The studio spent roughly $500 million to produce and promote...
Let me just add that both Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash will also be on the streaming service at some point between now and the end of the year.
It posted a solid -34% hold in Frame 3 for a $41.4M weekend, which is almost a million-and-a-half over Sunday estimates.
We're figuring out the schedule [and] working hard on it. [...] As far as we're concerned, we're full speed ahead.