Avatar 4 has entered production, says James Cameron

According to James Cameron, Avatar 4 has officially entered production.

The director made the announcement at the D23 Expo, which he joined via virtual call from New Zealand – where Avatar: The Way of Water and the currently untitled Avatar 3 are both in production. Avatar 3 is slated for a 2024 release date, with Avatar 4 set to follow in 2026. A fifth Avatar movie is planned for 2028. The first Avatar was released back in 2009.

"I'm super excited to be finally finishing up movie two. I know everyone's been waiting a long time," Cameron said at the Expo. "Hopefully, we'll show something today, and you can decide if it's been worth it."

Six brand new scenes from Avatar: The Way of Water were screened at D23, including new underwater sequences and a nighttime action scene set in a rainy forest.

Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington return, along with Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, Dileep Rao, and Matt Gerald. The cast also includes Vin Diesel, Brendan Cowell, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, Oona Chaplin, CJ Jones, Michelle Yeoh, Edie Falco, Jermaine Clement, and Kate Winslet. No word yet on new or returning cast members for Avatar 3, 4, or 5.

Avatar: The Way of Water will hit theaters on December 12, 2022. For more, check out our list of upcoming movies in 2022 and beyond. For more from D23, here's everything announced at the Star Wars and Marvel panel, along with our guides to the D23 schedule and everything announced at the D23 Disney and Pixar panel.