Filmmaker James Cameron has generated significant buzz around the upcoming Avatar 3: Fire and Ash, suggesting that it may be the most daring instalment in the franchise to date. In a recent interview, James dropped a hint that the film might defy audience expectations, cautioning that it may not be what viewers “signed up for”. Also read: James Cameron on SS Rajamouli: I thought RRR was spectacular; it’s great to see Indian cinema get global acceptance
James Cameron teases
In an interview with Empire Magazine, the Academy Award award-winning director spoke about Avatar 3, and what can people expect from the latest instalment of the global franchise. He shared that his goal isn’t to replicate what was done in the previous two films but instead to make “brave choices” that might not necessarily be expected.
James said, “It’s a tricky thing. We could be getting high on our own supply here, and everybody who looks at it (the new film) goes, ‘F**k, that’s not what I signed up for’. But if you’re not making brave choices, you’re wasting everybody’s time and money. That alone is not sufficient to create success, but it’s necessary. You’ve got to break the mold every fricking time.”
Hinting at what to expect, the 70-year-old filmmaker shared that the audiences can look forward to high-intensity situations, sharing they may get taken to places they won’t expect.
He added, “We’ve got some really clever action set-pieces. You can get your blood up in this movie. But what excites me as an artist who recently turned 70 and has kind of done all that stuff is not only the opportunity to get to do it again, but to get to a level of character and intrigue you haven’t seen before in an Avatar movie. We’ve doubled the number of shots finished at this stage of the game than we had on movie two [and] the films are about equal length. So that puts us well ahead of the curve, which is something I’ve never, frankly, experienced before. We’re getting to the point where we’re actually getting good at this”.
About the film franchise
James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water was released in 2022. It came out 13 years after the 2009 original film. The sequel follows Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) as they try and protect their kids from the return of the Skypeople and Colonel Quaritch (Steven Lang) who is hell-bent on revenge. The film also introduces a new water tribe of the Na’vi called the Metkayina. Avatar: The Way of Water also stars Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco and Jemaine Clement.
James has produced all of the Avatar films with his longtime creative partner Jon Landau, who died in July of cancer. The franchise is known for its visuals and intricate world-building. 2009’s Avatar is currently the highest-grossing film ever, earning 2.9 billion worldwide, according to IGN. Avatar: The Way of Water, which was released in 2022, comes in at number three with 2.3 billion. Avatar 3: Fires and Ash is scheduled to hit theatres later this year.