Avatar 3 Now In The "Hectic" Stage Of Post-Production, James Cameron Says

Avatar: The Way of Water made a huge splash in 2022 when the long-awaited sequel finally came to theaters; it ended up making $2.3 billion to become the No. 3 movie of all time at the box office. A third Avatar is in the works, and writer-director James Cameron has now provided an update on it.

He said at a press conference in New Zealand recently that the movie is now in the "very hectic two years of post-production. "So it will be Christmas of 2025."

Also during the speaking event, Cameron, who has a home in New Zealand, said, "I plan on making all my films here indefinitely."

The original Avatar was released in 2009 and made $2.92 billion at the box office to become the highest-grossing movie of all time. 14 years later, Avatar: The Way of Water arrived in December 2022 and made $2.3 billion to climb to No. 3 on the all-time charts.

Avatar 3 is scheduled for December 2025 and it has major box office expectations behind it. In terms of the story, it will show a different side of the Na'vi.

Avatar 3 will show "different cultures" from those seen in the first two Avatar films, Cameron said, and they may not be nice people. "The fire will be represented by the 'Ash People.' I want to show the Na'vi from another angle because, so far, I have only shown their good sides," Cameron said.

"In the early films, there are very negative human examples and very positive Na'vi examples. In Avatar 3, we will do the opposite. We will also explore new worlds, while continuing the story of the main characters," Cameron said. "I can say that the last parts will be the best. The others were an introduction, a way to set the table before serving the meal."

Avatar 3 brings back the main cast in addition to new actors like Michelle Yeoh (The Witcher: Blood Origin), Oona Chaplin (Game of Thrones), and David Thewlis (Harry Potter). It's a safe bet that at least some of those new cast members will play members of the new fire-focused people.