The next chapter in James Cameron’s “Avatar” franchise hits theaters just before Christmas, after a delayed bumped it from 2024, and the first footage of the threequel promises exactly what’s in its title.
The full trailer will run ahead of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” for fans on Thursday, and was previewed for the media Monday night ahead of the Marvel premiere event.
In the footage, we more gorgeous scenery and creatures of Pandora, largely existing peacefully. But, with war on the way, Jake needs to summon the strength of the ancestors.
The trailer isn’t dialogue heavy, instead opting for various moments from battle, which largely appears to take place in the sky this time around. Of course, as the title promises, there will be fire and ash; we see a large volcano with lava dripping down, and the Na’vi firing flaming arrows at their RDA enemies.
That said, even as war looms, Jake warns his wife that she cannot live with hate in her heart.
The footage also warns of potential casualties — specifically Jack Champion’s spider, the human who was adopted into Jake’s family at the end of “Way of Water.” He’s alive in the footage but there are concerns for his well being.
As fans will remember, “Avatar: The Way of Water” ended with evil RDA goons finding Jake and his family, and unfortunately, killing one of his sons. Why come for them? The company has decided to colonize Pandora, and they know Jake is a threat to that plan.
Knowing that they’re just going to keep coming, Jake and his family vow to continue fighting, and start preparing for war. This December, that war returns.
“Avatar: The Way of Water” was released back in 2022 and marked a box office milestone, as it surpassed $2 billion in global grosses just over a month after its release. That gross made it the sixth film in history — a record third from Cameron — to reach the milestone before adjusting for inflation.
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” marks the third movie in the franchise, with fourth and fifth installments planned for 2029 and 2031, respectively.
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” hits theaters on Dec. 19, 2025.
