‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ to Close First Saga, James Cameron Confirms
James Cameron, the legendary director behind the Avatar films, says his new movie, Avatar: Fire and Ash, marks the end of the first story saga in the franchise.
Speaking to io9, Cameron clarified that he doesn’t see the film as just another sequel. Instead, he describes the first three Avatar movies as one complete saga, with the next two films forming a separate story. He explained that if the later films never happen, he is fine leaving the story here.
“I don’t think of Fire and Ash as a sequel. I think it was a culmination of a saga. I like ‘saga’ better than ‘sequel’ because a lot of where we were going with the story was in the original architecture of the story. So if you think of this as the third act, I think that’s healthier,” Cameron said.
He added that his approach to the story is different from typical Hollywood sequels. “It’s a long game. And I went into it knowing that we’d be playing a long game and betting that the audience would come along with us and care about these people. Because they may be 10 feet tall and blue, but they’re people.”
This world is much deeper than you imagine. Watch the brand-new trailer for Avatar: Fire and Ash and experience it in theatres December 19th.
— Avatar (@officialavatar) September 25, 2025
Also, don’t miss Avatar: The Way of Water back on the big screen in 3D for one week only, starting October 3rd. pic.twitter.com/nB5nOcrQMx
Cameron also discussed the planned Avatar 4 and Avatar 5, which are currently scheduled for 2029 and 2031. However, he admits there’s no guarantee these films will happen and calls them “vaporware right now.” He describes them as a separate saga with their own beginning, middle, and end.
The cast, however, is hopeful. Jack Champion, who plays Spider, told io9, “I really hope that we get to make four and five, because it’s such a mind-bending, crazy story that I feel has to be told.” Trinity Bliss, who plays Tuk, added, “It goes to the next level.”
Cameron’s comments make it clear that Avatar: Fire and Ash is meant to wrap up the original story arc, giving fans a satisfying conclusion to the first saga. Whether audiences will get the later films remains uncertain, but the world of Pandora is far from closed.
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