James Cameron’s Next Move: What’s Ahead for Avatar 4?

James Cameron’s ambitious five-part plan for the Avatar saga has already delivered three blockbusters, and punters are itching to see what’s in store for the fourth instalment. Jake Sully has made a home on Pandora, started a family, and left his old clan behind to join the Metkayina. With Avatar: Fire and Ash now out, the big question is whether the next chapter will stick to familiar ground or take a sharp turn. Here’s a look at what Cameron and his team have let slip so far.

Eight Years On: The Time Leap in Avatar 4

In a recent chat, Cameron revealed that the next film will pick up eight years after the events of Fire and Ash. He also mentioned that The Way of Water, Fire and Ash, and the early bits of Avatar 4 were all shot together. The cast spent a whopping 18 months filming, with nine months each for the second and third films, and a few scenes for the fourth. This approach was mainly to keep the younger actors looking the right age, avoiding any awkward growth spurts between films.

So, while there was a 15-year gap between the first and second films, only a few weeks separate the second and third. Now, with an eight-year jump to the fourth, the story will see the kids growing into young adults. Early scenes in Avatar 4 will likely show them as they were in Fire and Ash, before the time skip pushes them into their twenties. Kiri is set to take on the role of narrator, with Loak and Kiri in their early twenties, Tuk as a teenager, and Jake and Neytiri moving into their late thirties or early forties. By this point, it’s been nearly 25 years since the original film’s events, so expect the characters to have matured both emotionally and physically.

Plot Hints and What’s Next for Pandora

Details about the storyline are still under wraps, with no official synopsis out yet. But after the events of Fire and Ash, there’s plenty to speculate about. Quaritch’s fate is up in the air, but there’s a fair chance he’ll be back. This time, though, he’s shown signs of embracing Na’vi culture, so the long-running feud with Jake might finally come to a head. Varang could also return, and Spider’s new ability to breathe on Pandora could make him a key player, especially since the RDA won’t want to let go of that discovery.

Producer Jon Landau has hinted that the next films will touch on themes like overpopulation and dwindling resources, but he’s keen not to paint a completely grim picture. He’s also teased that Avatar 5 will see the story head to Earth, where Neytiri will get a taste of human life and learn that not all humans are villains.

James Cameron’s Future with the Franchise

Some reckon Cameron’s long stint with the Avatar series is a bit much, but he’s not fussed by the critics. He’s made it clear he’s open to stepping back from the day-to-day grind, saying,

“I’ve got other stories to tell, and I’ve got other stories to tell within Avatar. What won’t happen is, I won’t go down the rabbit hole of exclusively making only Avatar for multiple years. I’m going to figure out another way that involves more collaboration. I’m not saying I’m going to step away as a director, but I’m going to pull back from being as hands-on with every tiny aspect of the process.”

Things are looking positive for the next film, with the studio giving the script a big tick of approval and no notes for changes. Cameron described the feedback as,

“When I turned in the script for 4, the studio executive, creative executive over the films wrote me an email that said, ‘Holy fuck.’ And I said, ‘Well, where are the notes?’ And she said, ‘Those are the notes.’ Because it kind of goes nuts in a good way, right?”

He’s also hinted that the story will keep punters guessing, saying it’s full of surprises and twists. Whether or not Avatar 4 gets made will depend on how Fire and Ash performs at the box office, but for now, the next chapter is set for release on 21 December 2029, with Fire and Ash currently showing in cinemas across the US.