James Cameron: "Avatar: Fire and Ash" Will Be a Little Bit Longer Than "The Way of Water"

James Cameron‘s next “Avatar” movie, “Fire and Ash,” will be longer than 2022’s “The Way of Water,” which clocked in at three hours and 12 minutes.

In a recent sitdown with Empire, Cameron revealed he and his writers developed too much material for “The Way of Water,” and when production began, had to move some of the story from that movie into its sequel, “Fire and Ash.”

“In a nutshell, we had too many great ideas packed into act one of movie 2,” Cameron added. “The [film] was moving like a bullet train, and we weren’t drilling down enough on character. So I said, ‘Guys, we’ve got to split it.’” For that reason, Cameron teased, “movie 3 will actually be a little bit longer than movie 2.”

Cameron first revealed the “Fire and Ash” title at a D23 presentation in August 2024. He didn’t reveal any footage at the time. Still, he did showcase some concept art, which included giant airships, Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) riding on a banshee, and a sneak peek at the Ash People of the Na’vi dancing around a blazing fire pit.

“You’ll see a lot more Pandora that you never saw before,” Cameron said at the presentation. “It’s an insane adventure and a feast for the eyes, but it’s also got very high emotional stakes, more than ever before. We’re going into really challenging territory for all the characters you know and love.”

Franchise stars Sam Worthington and Saldaña will reprise their characters from the first two “Avatar” movies for “Fire and Ash,” returning alongside Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Britain Dalton, Jack Champion, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Bailey Bass, Joel David Moore, Edie Falco, and Dileep Rao.

New cast members for “Fire and Ash” include Oona Chaplin, who will play the leader of the Ash People, and David Thewlis. Specific plot details remain under wraps, but “Fire and Ash” will pick up soon after the events of “Way of Water.”