What to Expect from the Two New Avatar Sequels and How They’re Different from the First Three Films

ByMiles Everett December 19, 2025December 19, 2025

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20th Century Studios

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Following the tremendous success of Avatar, James Cameron committed to four sequels.
The saga continues with Avatar: The Way of Water, released in 2022, and the anticipated Avatar: Fire and Ash, debuting on December 19, 2025.
There are two additional sequels planned for future release.

The Avatar franchise continues to thrive at the box office. Director James Cameron’s third addition, Avatar: Fire and Ash, is set to hit theaters on December 19, 2025.

The first two films, launched in 2009 and 2022, remain the top two highest-grossing movies in history, sparking intense excitement for the franchise’s next developments.

Despite a largely secretive production process, Cameron and producer Jon Landau have offered glimpses into what fans can expect. In an interview with Deadline in December 2025, Cameron revealed that Fire and Ash will conclude the narrative arc established in the first three films, but details regarding the subsequent two installments remain under wraps.

“It’s hard for me to think about that right now,” he remarked. “I always use the metaphor that if a woman is in labor, at the moment she’s crowning, you don’t ask her about her next children.”

Avatar 4 is scheduled to debut on December 21, 2029, while Avatar 5 is set for a December 19, 2031 release.

What is Avatar 4 About?

Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri in ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’.

Courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Details surrounding the plot of Avatar 4, debuting in December 2029, remain scarce. However, during an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2022, Cameron indicated a significant time jump in the script, allowing the younger characters to age naturally within the story.

“They’re young men, young women at that point, when we get to the B side of that time jump,” he explained.

Further insights were shared by Cameron with PEOPLE in December 2023: “We see them and then we go away for six years and we come back,” he said, noting that filming for the returning segment has yet to commence and will begin after the third film is released.

In 2022, Cameron disclosed that the studio reacted positively to the Avatar 4 script. “I can’t tell you the details,” he noted, “but when I submitted the script for 4, the creative executive replied with, ‘Holy f—.’ Those are the notes.”

Has Avatar 4 Started Filming?

A still from ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Everett

Portions of Avatar 4 were filmed alongside Avatar 2 and 3, with a portion already complete.

In an early 2023 appearance on Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace, Cameron discussed timelines for subsequent sequels. “Avatar 4 and 5 are both written. We even have some of 4 in the can,” he stated, indicating the franchise has firmly begun.

Producer Jon Landau corroborated this in a 2022 interview with Variety, stating, “We’ve completed most of the first act of Avatar 4 but haven’t filmed all of it — just the first act.”

When Will Avatar 4 Release in Theaters?

Avatar 4 is scheduled to premiere on December 21, 2029.

What is Avatar 5 About?

‘Avatar 2’ Concept Art.
20th Century Fox

In a 2022 interview with Gizmodo, Landau revealed an intriguing detail regarding Avatar 5: the narrative will bring the Na’vi to Earth.

“In movie five, there is a section of the story where we go to Earth,” Landau revealed. “We go to it to open people’s eyes, to show Neytiri what exists on Earth.”

Landau also emphasized that Neytiri (portrayed by Saldaña) will not only survive the next two sequels but will play a vital role in the final installment.

“Earth is not just represented by the RDA,” he noted. “Not all humans are bad, just as not all Na’vi are good. We want to expose Neytiri to that.”