For James Cameron, the true measure of an Avatar film’s success is if it can bring him to tears. In an exclusive interview at Disney’s D23 fan event in Anaheim, California, on August 9th, the director revealed that “the hardest part of the job is living with every image every day, noticing each new detail, but still being able to feel how the movie affects you as an audience member.”
Cameron, 69, added, “If I can’t cry during the movie, then I know I’ve failed on a significant level. If it doesn’t move me, something is wrong, and it has to be fixed.”
The three-time Oscar winner admitted that he experienced a “crisis of faith” while working on an early cut of Avatar 3, when he thought, “We’re not there yet.” However, after doing some additional work, he proudly stated, “It’s hitting the mark now. Absolutely compelling.”
The first Avatar film debuted in 2009, followed by its long-awaited sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, 13 years later in 2022. The third installment, recently revealed at D23, will be titled Avatar: Fire and Ash.
An announcement on the official Avatar Instagram account teased fans with, “Get ready to journey back to Pandora.”
Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña, who star in the Avatar films, also shared their thoughts at D23. Worthington, 48, emphasized, “It’s not about what you see… it’s about how you feel.” Saldaña, 46, echoed this sentiment, saying, “I share the same feeling as the audience. It’s not easy for me to watch things I’m a part of, but with Avatar, I have this out-of-body experience, like I’m watching it for the first time or as if I’m really there.”
“The second film hit me on such a deep level,” she added.
Avatar: Fire and Ash is set to hit theaters in December 2025, with Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 slated for release in 2029 and 2031, respectively. For Cameron, Worthington, and Saldaña, “honoring the process” of evolving and fine-tuning these films has been crucial to their success.
Saldaña elaborated, “I believe that’s what separates a good film from a great one—a story that lives on forever is born from respecting the process. We refuse to succumb to formulas, deadlines, or budgets. Instead, we block out the noise and fully immerse ourselves in the story, which demands intense concentration.”
Worthington added, “When the boss calls and says, ‘Hey, I need you to come in,’ it means he’s missing something. It’s all about making it better, stronger, and deeper. So, we just show up.”
Avatar: Fire and Ash is scheduled to hit theaters on December 19, 2025.
Why was James Cameron’s Avatar so successful?
Cameron’s Avatar films present a vision of a hopeful and vibrant future, standing in stark contrast to the bleak dystopian landscapes that dominate much of the sci-fi genre. The success of Avatar underscores the audience’s craving for escapism and reflects a deep-seated yearning for optimism and connection in storytelling.
Which Avatar movie was more successful?
As of 2024, “Avatar” (2009) remains the most commercially successful movie of all time, with a global box office gross of approximately 2.92 billion U.S. dollars. Trailing closely behind are “Avengers: Endgame” (2019) with around 2.8 billion dollars, and “Avatar: The Way of Water” (2022), which earned about 2.32 billion dollars worldwide.
