Avatar 3 is set to arrive later this year, and Disney is talking up James Cameron’s blockbuster sequel. According to CEO Bob Iger, the next installment of the Na'vi saga is truly startling.
He commented about the upcoming movie during the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. In a section dedicated to the coming year of releases, Iger mentions seeing an early cut of Avatar: Fire and Ash. "It is absolutely breathtaking," he says.
Unlike many of the other movies mentioned, such as The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Zootopia 2, we don’t get any footage of Fire and Ash. There’s just a logo treatment and some concept art of the Na'vi riding Ikran in the sky.
That's to be expected, given the magnitude of the release. The Avatar films are juggernauts, since the first is the highest-grossing movie ever, and its sequel, The Way of Water, being the third highest. The first Fire and Ash trailer will be a heavily curated event, with all eyes on Cameron's latest work.
Iger's comment itself is to be expected, but the mention of seeing an early cut should assuage fears of any kind of delay. The Avatar sequels have a reputation for being pushed back. The Way of Water was originally meant to come out in 2014, before eventually coming to theaters in 2022.
Naturally, this resulted in Fire and Ash moving as well. The Hollywood strikes in 2023 forced a final shift from December 2024 to the end of this year, 2025. Cameron filmed much of The Way of Water and Fire and Ash back-to-back, so by the time Avatar 2 opened, he was already way ahead on the threequel.
Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang are all starring in Avatar: Fire and Ash, joined by a long list of co-stars, including Kate Winslet, Edie Falco and Jemaine Clement. In addition to directing, Cameron co-wrote the screenplay with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver.
Avatar: Fire and Ash opens December 19, 2025. Our lists of all the upcoming superhero movies and upcoming horror movies will tell you what other big films you should be aware of.
