James Cameron says Avatar: Fire and Ash is a movie "grief," "loss," and "trauma," and how you "break the cycle of violence"

Avatar: Fire and Ash picks up in the aftermath of The Way of Water, which saw Jake Sully and Neytiri's son, Neteyam, killed.

At a press conference attended by GamesRadar+, director James Cameron reflected on the experience of filming Neteyam's death when asked for a standout memory.

"My mind goes to the day that we shot Neteyam's death, because I know everybody was kind of dreading that. Because I'm a parent. I was a parent when I wrote those scenes, and it's the most inconceivable thing. You guys [Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña] had become parents in the meantime, between the first and second film," Cameron said. "And, of course, that's the event that powers so much of what happens in Fire and Ash, the ash of grief, as Lo'ak says, as the new storyteller, taking the baton from Jake."

After discussing his memories of filming the moment itself, Cameron explained how this loss directly affects what's to come in Avatar 3. "That event, now you have to play through the aftermath of that in Fire and Ash, and what that means to your characters, to the other kids who were there, who witnessed it, or living with the aftermath of it." Cameron said.

"And I think that I'm proud of what you guys created in the new film, in terms of working through that process," he continued. "You say it's a movie about grief. Yeah, it's a movie about grief. It's a movie about loss, it's a movie about trauma, and it's a movie about how you heal, and how you go forward, and how you pick up your pack and you march on, and how you break the cycle of violence that is created by the hatred that comes from that loss. And we're seeing that playing out in the world today."

Avatar: Fire and Ash is in theaters from December 19. In the meantime, fill out your watchlist with our guide to the most exciting upcoming movies of 2025 and beyond.