Avatar 3 finally enters post-production but James Cameron says there's still a long road ahead

The third installment of director James Cameron’s smash hit Avatar is finally in post-production, but it looks like there's a long road ahead before we get to return to Pandora again. 

At an industry conference in New Zealand documented by 1News, Cameron revealed what stage Avatar 3 is at. "We’re into a very hectic 2 years of post-production right now," the director confirmed. "So it will be Christmas of 2025.”

Earlier this year, it was announced that Avatar 3, which was originally set to hit theatres in December 2024, had been moved on a year to December 2025. The fourth and fifth movies have also been moved on three years each, meaning that the series will continue until 2031 at the earliest. 

The news came as a bit of a shock as fans were expecting the third movie sooner since it was filmed alongside the sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water. However, Disney did not give a reason for the delay. The good news is that the production team now has two whole years to focus on the stellar CGI and SFX we have come to expect from the Avatar movies, although judging by Cameron's "hectic" comment, the road to the finish line may not be so smooth. 

The upcoming movie remains untitled, but we do know that it will introduce two new Na'vi cultures including a fire tribe, just as the first movie focuses on the forest-dwelling Na'vi known as the Omaticaya and the second film looks at the Metkayina tribe who live on Pandora's coast.

Avatar 3 is set to hit theatres on December 19, 2025. Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water are both available to stream on Disney Plus right now. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies heading your way in 2023 and beyond.