James Cameron is not a small-time filmmaker. Whether it’s ‘Titanic’, ‘Terminator 2’, or ‘Avatar’, he builds worlds with the confidence of someone who assumes the audience will follow him anywhere. But even Cameron acknowledges that the future of Pandora is not a sure thing. As ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ is scheduled to be released in December, Cameron is at a crossroads: he is confident in the movie, and he thinks it will do well.
However, he is also planning what to do in case it does not earn enough to cover the huge costs of Avatar 4 and Avatar 5. Amazingly, the director is not panicking. Rather, he is already aware of how he will elegantly wrap up the chapter, even if the trip is cut short.
James Cameron Is Prepared For ‘Avatar: Fire And Ash’ Not Performing As Expected
In The Town podcast with Matt Belloni, Cameron made a very open statement about Avatar’s future; he is prepared to have ‘Fire and Ash’ be the final film in the series. “I have no doubt in my mind that this movie will make money,” Cameron said. “The question is, does it make enough money to justify doing it again? If this is where it ends, cool.”
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Coming from any other filmmaker, that would sound like resignation. From Cameron, it sounds strangely peaceful. He has been in Avatar land for thirty years. Inventing Pandora, authoring several scripts, motion-capturing actors, ecosystems, and languages: this is what he has been doing almost all his life. Cameron also joked that one of the story lines in ‘Fire and Ash’ will not be completely resolved in the movie.
Rather than making the story conform to the long-term business aspirations of the studio, he is ready to tie that strand in a book. “There’s one open thread,” Cameron said. “I’ll write a book!” It’s not a throwaway comment. It implies that he has emotionally accepted a scenario in which Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 never exist. So, with ‘Fire And Ash’, he wants the franchise to receive an acceptable conclusion.
Why ‘Avatar: Fire And Ash’ Might Be The Final Chapter
Cameron has emphasized several times that ‘Fire and Ash’ is not just a follow-up, but the conclusion of the first Avatar trilogy. In an interview with Gizmodo, he said, “I don’t think of Fire and Ash as a sequel. I think it was the culmination of a saga. … If you think of this as the third act, that’s healthier.” This view explains why Cameron can afford to drop it in case the box office figures do not warrant the continuation.
The first three movies are one story in his mind: Jake Sully and Neytiri’s emotional story arc and the growing conflict with humanity. This trilogy format relieves ‘Fire and Ash’ of the burden to leave audiences in suspense. As Cameron says, the film will resolve most major arcs. It will give Jake, Neytiri, and even Quaritch closure, pay off emotional investments, and deliver the “third act” of a story planned from the beginning.
He acknowledges that the existing saga may be enough: a complete story told across three massive films. This sense of finality was reflected in Sam Worthington’s (Jake Sully) interview with The Hollywood Reporter: “To me, this was always the final battle, the final showdown.”
He also verified that the last two movies were originally written as one giant script by Cameron. So, the closure in ‘Fire and Ash’ was never an afterthought. The movie is written to feel like an ending if needed. Not a cliffhanger. Not a “come back in 2029” plea. A finish line. However, the franchise is not dead yet. Cameron has films 4 and 5 in reserve, should audiences desire them.
The Future Of Pandora Totally Depends On Fans
Despite his readiness to walk away, Cameron has already built the blueprint for the next era of the franchise, one that focuses on newer characters like Lo’ak, Tuk, and Spider. He refers to Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 as their own saga, and the future installments are currently referred to as vaporware (story with a script, ideas, and emotional underpinnings, but not a greenlight yet). “It’s its own saga. It’s got a beginning and a middle and an end across those two films,” Cameron said.
In case you missed it: ‘Avatar: Fire And Ash’ Could Be Laying The Groundwork For ‘Avatar 5’
Jack Champion (Spider) and Trinity Bliss (Tuk) already hinted that the future is mind-bending and next-level. Cameron even disclosed that Avatar 4 starts with a significant time leap, which represents a transition out of the Jake-Neytiri period. And speaking of Jake. It has been speculated that he might die in ‘Fire and Ash’. Although that is not verified, it is indicative of the tonal quality of the movie. It’s a conclusion that is strong enough to move the emotional focus of the franchise to its new generation.
However, none of these future worlds will happen unless ‘Fire and Ash’ makes it financially. Cameron knows it. Disney knows it. And the actors know it as well. Worthington summed it up perfectly: “You hope it connects. It’s very nerve-wracking when you hand a movie over. … Jim has ideas for where the saga continues, but I also know he’s rounded off these two movies.” That is, ‘Fire and Ash’ is made to work with or without a successor.
