Thought the First Two 'Avatar' Movies Were Long? James Cameron Has News for Fans About 'Fire and Ash'

Oh no, let’s not get any more drinks, we can’t possibly afford to at this rate. As we all know, James Cameron isn’t known for short movies, and it looks like Avatar: Fire and Ash will push the limits once again. The Way of Water sequel, set to hit theaters on December 19, 2025, will be even longer than its predecessor, Cameron revealed in a new interview with Empire. With The Way of Water already clocking in at 187 minutes, and the original Avatar at 145 minutes, Cameron’s next chapter in the saga is set to test audience endurance in the most immersive (or bladder-challenging) way possible.

Now, originally, Fire and Ash wasn’t supposed to be xits own film. The decision to split the second and third installments came after Cameron and his team realized they had too many ideas crammed into The Way of Water‘s first act. “In a nutshell, we had too many great ideas packed into act one of movie 2,” Cameron explained. “The [film] was moving like a bullet train, and we were not drilling down enough on character. So I said, ‘Guys, we’ve got to split it.’”

By dividing the films, Cameron and his writing team—Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Josh Friedman (writing Avatar 4), and Shane Salerno (Avatar 5)—were able to flesh out the characters rather than just keep pushing the plot forward. “It was spectacular. You’re talking about a character deeply for days and days, and all of a sudden there they are,” Silver said, reflecting on the writing process, while adding that she felt that decision gave the characters more room to breathe.

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ is Deeply Personal

Beyond the obviously gorgeous visuals and the immensely detailed world building in Pandora, though, Cameron stressed that Avatar remains a deeply personal story for both himself and the writers.

“These characters are amalgams of us, our childhoods, our role as parents, the mistakes we made and probably to some extent continue to make as parents. I mean, Jake is a hard-ass motherf–ker. He’s very hard on his kids. Well, that’s me.”

Avatar: Fire and Ash will open in theaters worldwide in December 2025. Production on Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 is currently underway, too, so prepare those bladders for the long haul, folks. Stay tuned to Collider for all the latest news and updates from the world of Avatar and Pandora.