The highly anticipated first trailer for James Cameron's forthcoming Avatar fantasy saga, Avatar: Fire & Ash, has made its official debut online (embedded below), igniting excitement among fans worldwide. Disney unveiled the trailer following an exclusive theatrical teaser shown ahead of Fantastic Four: First Steps last week, which inadvertently leaked footage beforehand.
One enthusiast raved, "This trailer showcases some of the most breathtaking visuals I've witnessed all year. The palpable sense of doom and rage left me entranced—cosmic volcanoes serving as the backdrop for fierce fistfights, heroes overwhelmed with fear, and colossal aerial battles that took my breath away." An entertainment writer remarked, "[The trailer] began somewhat underwhelmingly as 'more of the same' but concluded with a resounding 'yep, another billion for James Cameron!'" A film critic echoed, "The visuals are somehow on an entirely different plane. It's undeniable; this will undoubtedly be the biggest movie of 2025. 'Epic' scarcely does justice to what this trailer promises."
The trailer transports viewers back to the mesmerizing world of Pandora, introducing two novel tribes: the ethereal Wind Traders and the fiery, ash-hurling Ash People clan. The footage captures Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), his beloved Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), and their Na'vi family locked in intense aerial combat with the Ash People. The sinister Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) makes a chilling return, now adorned with striking white, black, and red warpaint, hinting at a possible alliance with the Ash People. At one harrowing moment, Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), held captive, is informed by the menacing new villain, Varang (Oona Chaplin), "Your goddess holds no sway here." Meanwhile, Sully warns Neytiri, "We cannot continue living like this," only to be captured and paraded before Pandora's occupying forces. The young Spider (Jack Champion) appears to be in grave danger throughout.
The original Avatar, released in 2009, secured its place as the highest-grossing film of all time, amassing $2.9 billion globally. Its sequel, The Way of Water (2022), charted as the third-highest-grossing movie ever with $2.3 billion, surpassing expectations and silencing skeptics who doubted Cameron's ability to replicate the Avatar phenomenon. At present, few question Cameron's prowess in delivering massive box office successes with the Avatar franchise, and anticipation is sky-high for Fire & Ash, slated for a major holiday release on December 19.
While the runtime has yet to be announced, Cameron has teased that Fire & Ash "will be a bit longer" than The Way of Water, which clocked in at three hours and 12 minutes. "In essence, we had too many stellar ideas crammed into the first act of The Way of Water," Cameron recently revealed. "The film was hurtling forward like a bullet train, and we didn't delve deep enough into character development. So, I said, 'Guys, we need to split it up.' Fire & Ash will actually be slightly longer."
Cameron envisions a quintet of Avatar films and intends to direct them all. Much of the footage has already been captured. Avatar 4 is penciled in for December 21, 2029, with Avatar 5 set to arrive on December 19, 2031. Additionally, Cameron expresses a desire to adapt Charles Pellegrino's books, Ghosts of Hiroshima and Last Train From Hiroshima, once his Avatar commitments permit. The film would center on a Japanese man who survived the atomic bombings of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. Should it materialize, it would mark Cameron's first non-Avatar film since Titanic in 1997.
Fire & Ash boasts an impressive ensemble cast, including Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Britain Dalton, Jack Champion, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Matt Gerald, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Bailey Bass, Jemaine Clement, and David Thewlis. The screenplay is penned by Cameron, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver.
The official synopsis for Fire & Ash reads: "Jake and Neytiri's family grapples with profound grief following Neteyam's death, encountering a new, belligerent Na'vi tribe—the Ash People, led by the fiery Varang. As conflicts on Pandora escalate, a fresh moral compass emerges, guiding them through uncharted territories."
