The third opus of James Cameron’s famous sci-fi franchise is in production. Release date, casting, plot… we tell you everything we know about Avatar 3.
After Avatar, the most profitable film of all time, James Cameron gave us The Way of Water. A successful sequel in terms of numbers, following the same path as its precursor. But the director and producer does not intend to stop there. In fact, the filmmaker has been planning to tell the rest of the Na’vi story for quite some time. In addition to the video game just released by Ubisoft, three other films will follow (and perhaps even more).
Avatar 3 is no longer at the mere project stage: its filming has already finished, and its casting as well as its release date have been confirmed. Here’s what we know so far about the sequel, and what its name might be.
Summary
- Avatar 3 release date
- What is the real title of Avatar 3?
- Avatar 3 Cast: Who is in it?
- Avatar 3 Intrigue
- Avatar 3 Trailer: Is there a trailer?
Avatar 3 Release Date: When will it be released?
Avatar 3 will be released on December 17, 2025 in France.
It will be followed by the fourth opus on December 19, 2029, and Avatar 5 on December 17, 2031.
These recently announced changes are considerable: Avatar 3 was initially scheduled for December 2024, followed by the fourth opus in December 2026, and Avatar 5 in 2028.
Given The Way of Water’s many years of delay, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it pushed further into the 2020s – however, James Cameron has apparently already presented a… nine-hour version.
Although he expressed reservations about the chances of Avatar 4 and 5 being made, citing the box office performance needed to make them feasible in Disney’s eyes, he seems “fairly certain”that audiences will return to Pandora soon.
“We have already done most of the work. We still have to go through the whole finishing process with Wētā FX for Avatar 3. But I’m pretty sure we’ll be back here in a few years,” he told Digital Spy.
In an interview with the Sci-Fi and Fantasy Gazette, production designer Ben Procter explained: “All I can say is that we started in 2013, with a team that has grown since then and contains so many wonderful people. We worked on it as a real world, with lots of interesting places to explore and things to see from the start. I can’t tell you what’s going to happen, but I can tell you it’ll be cool.”
The writers’ and actors’ strikes also scared the most impatient viewers, threatening to have an effect on the film’s production deadlines. But the agreements ratified by the various unions and the studios made it possible to restart work. Thus, the date of Avatar 3 does not appear to have been impacted.
Avatar 3 Title: Is there a final name?
Avatar 3 does not yet have a confirmed name as of this writing. While previous rumors suggested it might be called The Seed Bearer, the idea has since been denied by the film’s producer.
During a recent event for the new video game Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, franchise producer Jon Landau clarified rumors regarding the rumored title of Avatar 3 to ComicBook.com.
“I’m qualified to tell you that’s not the title of Avatar 3,” Landau said. “Is that what my Wikipedia page says? It will be changed this evening!”
The rumors originated from an earlier BBC News report, which cited official documents revealing the titles of the upcoming films: Avatar: The Seed Bearer, Avatar: The Tulkun Rider and Avatar: The Quest for Eywa.
Avatar 3 Cast: Who is in it?
Avatar 3 promises a five-star cast including many veteran actors, many of whom reprise their roles from the first two Avatar films.
Here are all the “human” characters in the film’s cast:
- Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge
- Dileep Rao as Dr. Max Patel
- Joel David Moore as Dr. Norm Spellman
- Edie Falco as General Frances Ardmore
- Michelle Yeoh as Dr. Karina Mogue
- Jemaine Clement as Dr. Ian Garvin
Here are all the Na’vi characters that will appear in Avatar 3:
- Sam Worthington as Jake Sully
- Sigourney Weaver as Kiri
- Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri
- Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch
- CCH Pounder as Mo’at
- Cliff Curtis as Tonowari
- Matt Gerald as Corporal Lyle Wainfleet
- Oona Chaplin as Varang
- David Thewlis
“I am in the Avatar sequels and as you know we can’t really talk very much about it. But it’s James Cameron! Come on! I would be the tea lady for James Cameron!”– Michelle Yeoh | https://t.co/zZ98SsQppk pic.twitter.com/9f9OSEHWoR
— IGN (@IGN) April 16, 2022
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Michelle Yeoh said: “Yes, I’m in the Avatar sequels and as you know, we can’t really talk much about it. But it’s James Cameron! Come on! I’ll be James Cameron’s tea lady! We filmed for a few weeks, and I was so impressed with the work he did, the work he’s doing, his energy. He’s a genius, a walking genius. And I really, really enjoyed the experience, I look forward to coming back soon, hopefully.”
While some might be surprised to see Stephen Lang return as Quaritch, considering his death in the first film, it seems like big plans are in store for his character.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Lang said: “Whatever you can imagine, I hope the character goes even further. I hope people will be surprised by what he goes through and what he becomes, I think you will recognize him, although I will be in a different setting. But I think you will recognize the attitude, the confidence, the leadership qualities that he has.”
“I think if you have expectations in this regard, they will be met. Plus, he’s always looking for a fight. That’s why he’s there, that’s his mission. But I believe there will also be surprises as we continue to milk this character for all he’s worth. Because there would really be no point in bringing back the role just to repeat itself, it would be pointless, it would be uninteresting. So, expect the unexpected, that’s what I would say.”
Avatar 3 Plot: What to Expect?
Although plot details for Avatar 3 have not been confirmed, it is expected to directly follow the events of The Way of Water. Speaking to 20 Minutes, Cameron however clarified that the story of Avatar 3 would highlight a new element: fire.
“[Expect] different cultures than I have already shown. Fire will be represented by the “Ash People” . I want to reveal the Nav’is from another angle because, for the moment, I have only shown their good sides,” he declared, before adding: “In the first films, there are very negative human examples and very positive Navi’s examples. In Avatar 3, we’ll do the opposite. We will also explore new universes while continuing the story of the main characters.”
Although a specific journey for the Sully family has yet to be set, Cameron has confirmed that Jake Sully will not be the narrator in the third chapter. Although he led the charge in the first two acts, his eldest son Lo’ak will now be the narrator of the third film.
“Lo’ak really emerged as a character that people identified with,” Cameron said on the ” Soundtracking with Edith Bowman ” podcast. “So I could find ways to… he’s already the narrator. I’m revealing something here, but it’s okay.”
In the future, this trend will continue. A new narrator will appear for each of the following films, starting with Lo’ak in Avatar 3.
Avatar 3 Trailer: Is there a trailer?
At this point, there is no trailer for Avatar 3. Although the film is said to be “in the can,” it isn’t expected in theaters until 2025. So don’t expect to see images too soon.
In the meantime, there are still the first two films, as well as the Ubisoft video game, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
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