The highly anticipated third installment in the blockbuster film series Avatar – the highest-grossing film of all time – is on the verge of being released, with early projections indicating a potential opening weekend of around $110 million, slightly less than that of The Way of Water. The question on everyone's lips: Will it be enough to meet the lofty expectations? And if not, James Cameron is "absolutely" ready to walk away from the Avatar universe, which still has planned fourth and fifth parts in the works.
In a candid conversation with Matt Belloni on his podcast, Cameron addressed the future of Avatar ahead of the threequel's release, shedding light on what would happen if the film fails to live up to the hype. When discussing the hefty price tag involved in making the film, he remarked, "It's a metric f-ck ton of money, which means we have to make two metric f-ck tons of money to make a profit."
While Cameron expressed confidence in the film's success, his concerns went beyond mere financial gains. "I have no doubt in my mind that this movie will make money," he said. "The question is, does it make enough money to justify doing it again?"
He admitted that he is ready to walk away from the franchise if the film flops. "I've been in Avatar land for 20 years," he shared. "Actually, 30 years because I wrote it in '95, but I wasn't working continuously on it for those first 10 years. Yeah, absolutely, sure. If this is where it ends, cool."
But before he does that, he has one last project to complete. "There's one open thread," Cameron teased, without revealing what it was. "I'll write a book!"
Avatar: Fire and Ash is slated to hit theaters on December 19, 2025, setting the stage for an epic conclusion to this remarkable cinematic journey.
