‘Avatar 4 and 5’ preproduction underway after ‘Fire and Ash’ hits $1 Billion
Fire and Ash crossed $1 billion globally, cementing the franchise’s blockbuster status
The next installments of James Cameron’s blockbuster Avatar franchise are officially moving forward, executive producer Rae Sanchini confirmed, more than three months after the third film, Avatar: Fire and Ash, crossed the $1 billion mark at the global box office.
Speaking to Inverse on April 1, Sanchini, who served as executive producer on Fire and Ash, revealed that preproduction is underway for Avatar 4 and Avatar 5.
“Right now we’re figuring out the schedule. We’re working hard on it — budgeting, scheduling, planning, building out our new pipeline for them. As far as we’re concerned, we’re full speed ahead,” she said.
Although the two films are tentatively slated for theatrical release in 2029 and 2031, Sanchini described these dates as flexible. “We intend to finalize release dates in the not too distant future,” she added.
The Avatar sequels will continue to push the boundaries of cinematic visual effects, with Lightstorm Entertainment employing a “more generally accessible platform” to create the franchise’s signature immersive spectacle.
“We have the scripts, they’re brilliant,” Sanchini noted. “As far as I’m concerned, we’re heading forward.”
Fire and Ash, the third installment in the franchise, grossed $1.48 billion worldwide, following the success of Avatar (2009) and The Way of Water (2022), which remain the first and third highest-grossing films of all time, respectively.
The film continues the story of the Sully family, picking up after the death of Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldaña) eldest son, Neteyam (Jamie Flatters).
Series villain Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) resurfaces, while new antagonist Varang (Oona Chaplin) joins forces with him, challenging the Sullys once more.
Cameron, 71, has previously acknowledged the need to make future Avatar films more cost-efficient while maintaining the franchise’s epic scale.
During a press conference at the Saturn Awards on March 8, he described the next two sequels as “likely, but not 100%,” leaving fans eager for confirmation.
Avatar: Fire and Ash is available on digital platforms now, with a physical release scheduled for May 19.