It could be the end of an era for cinema-going. Even famed Avatar writer and director James Cameron admits to this grim reality. The third installment in the Avatar franchise, Fire and Ash, hit theaters just before Christmas 2025. Now, Cameron has expressed concern over the Avatar franchise’s future, and the future of movie-going as a whole.
Avatar Fire & Ash Ending Explained: How Is Kiri Connected To Eywa?
Avatar: Fire and Ash confirms that Kiri has a much bigger role to play in future Avatar movies, thanks to her unique connection to Eywa.
The volatility of the movie industry is on everyone’s mind at the moment. Streaming giant Netflix is buying Warner Bros. For $72 billion in one of the biggest acquisition deals in history, and Netflix has expressed interest in moving to a 17-day theatrical release window before titles move to streaming.
What does that mean for the longevity of audiences going to the movies to see a new release? Fans have gotten comfortable with the abundant accessibility to entertainment since COVID, and box office trends indicate that waiting for movies to come to streaming isn’t going to stop anytime soon.
Avatar 3’s Box Office Will Decide Avatar 4 and 5's Fate
Cameron recently sat down with Taiwanese outlet TVBS News, during which he talked about how the success of Avatar 3 is directly tied to whether or not Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 will even happen. With all the intense special effects needed to bring these films to fruition, Avatar movies cost a LOT of money to make. Naturally, they need to bring in the dollars at the box office to make it all worth it.
How Avatar Fire and Ash's Ending Sets Up Avatar 4
Avatar 3's ending makes it obvious that Quaritch will return in Avatar 4. The next part might also explore the connection between Eywa and Kiri.
Disney has set release dates for the next two Avatar movies: Avatar 4’s release date is Dec. 21, 2029, and Avatar 5 is set to release on Dec. 19, 2031. But just because the Avatar sequels have release dates does not guarantee that these films will even be made at all.
James Cameron Addresses Massive Avatar Production Costs
When Cameron spoke with Matthew Belloni on his podcast, “The Town with Matthew Belloni,” Cameron would not reveal just how much Fire and Ash cost to make. He did, however, let fans know that the viability of Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 depends on Fire and Ash’s success.
“It is one metric f**k ton of money, which means we have to make two metric f**k tons of money to make a profit,” Cameron said. “I have no doubt in my mind that this movie will make money. The question is, does it make enough money to justify doing it again?”
Cameron wants to see the final Avatar sequels move forward so the story arc can conclude, but he’s also prepared to walk away from the film series if Fire and Ash fails to succeed. Fans worried about loose ends can relax — Cameron has a plan.
“There’s one open thread. I’ll write a book!” Cameron said.