A decade later, Cameron has only delivered on half of this plan. Avatar: The Way of Water came out in December 2022 to mark the franchise's grand return. The sequel was a huge hit, grossing $2.3 billion. 20th Century and Disney then released the third film, Avatar: Fire and Ash, in December 2025. It made $1.4 billion worldwide.
But as Avatar: Fire and Ash's ending makes clear, more adventures with the Sully family on Pandora are planned. After some time has passed from the third installment's release, the status of Avatar 4 remains a bit unclear. Recent updates about the movie's future are still promising that Cameron will get to make his last two sequels, but how and when this happens is murkier following Fire and Ash's box office decline.
Avatar 4 Is Happening, But Changes Are Being Made
Fans of Avatar can rest assured that Avatar 4 will happen. The sequel has been in development for years, and everyone at Disney and 20th Century are committed to working with Cameron to realize his vision. But rather than just move forward with the original plans for the sequel, the director and studios are working to figure out the best way to make Avatar 4.
Cameron revealed in 2026 that he's still working on the script, which is also being written once again by Josh Friedman, who co-wrote the last two films. It's not known exactly what portions of the story they are tweaking at this point. Getting the script in the right spot is key before production begins in full, but that is being held up due to other discussions between the director and studios.
It's no secret that the Avatar movies are massive, long, and expensive productions. That's why they've needed to make so much money at the box office to remain profitable. And after doing the first two sequels, Cameron has committed to doing Avatar 4 faster and cheaper. He said in May 2026 that, "I want to do them in half the time for two-thirds of the cost. That’s my metric. And so it’s going to take us a year or so to figure out how to do that."
That last part is significant for the purposes of Avatar 4's future. It will not be until sometime in 2027 that the movie is seemingly ready to move forward. A full restart to filming is not imminent, then. The good news for Avatar 4 is that the movie is already a third of the way done with filming.
In a rarity, Cameron and the Avatar cast and crew filmed a good portion of the fourth installment. The franchise's late producer Jon Landau confirmed in 2023 that they had completed filming on Avatar 4's first act due to it involving the younger versions of the Sully family, before a time jump occurs that encapsulates the rest of the movie.
Avatar 4 Is Still Years Away From Being Released
Even though some parts have already been filmed, Avatar 4's release date is still nowhere close. Disney gave the film a December 21, 2029, release date in 2023. The studio has kept the movie in that slot in all subsequent schedule updates, including one that occurred after Fire and Ash.
Yet, this date is not 100% locked. Producer Rae Sanchini said in an April 2026 interview that the 2029 release date is considered "tentative." This is due to the producers still needing to confirm the budget, schedule, and other aspects of the production pipeline. The release year could shift to 2030, potentially, but Sanchini also stated that "we're full speed ahead" to calm any nerves about a significantly longer wait.
Who Will Be In Avatar 4
When Avatar 4 does come out, it will include a lot of familiar faces, as well as some new ones. Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña are going to be back as Jake Sully and Neytiri. Jake and Neytiri's kids, Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), Lo'ak (Britain Dalton), and Tuktirey (Trinity Bliss) will accompany them again. Spider (Jack Champion) will be featured as well.
Stephen Lang is also confirmed to return as Miles Quaritch in his recombinant Na'vi body. His recent flame and fellow villain Varang (Oona Chaplin) will be back, too. Giovanni Ribisi's Parker Selfridge will make another comeback. It's also known that surviving Metkayina Clan members Tonowari (Cliff Curtis), Tsireya (Bailey Bass), and Aonung (Filip Geljo) will appear.
Other returning cast members include David Thewlis, CCH Pounder, Keston John, Jermaine Clement, Joel David Moore, and Dileep Rao. The most high-profile new addition is Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh, who joins Avatar 4 as a new Na'vi character named Paktuelat. Yeoh has already filmed some scenes, as have many of the cast members.
What Avatar 4 Will Be About
With all these characters, Avatar 4 will be a whole new adventure unlike the previous installments. Exact plot details or a synopsis have yet to be revealed, but information on what Cameron has planned has trickled out over time, allowing various pieces of the puzzle to be known.
For starters, Avatar 4 will include a big time jump after its first act, with Cameron stating about 8 years will pass. The purpose for this is so that the Sully kids can grow up and take on larger roles. While Jake and Neytiri will be involved, they will no longer be the centerpieces of this saga. In fact, Kiri will step into the narrator role, suggesting she'll be an even bigger focus as her connection to Eywa continues to be explored.
A key detail for Avatar 4 is that it will also include scenes on Earth once again. The franchise hasn't gone beyond Pandora since the first movie. The plan seems to be for the fourth installment to dive deeper into humanity's past and what state they've left Earth in, certainly allowing the series' environmental themes to persist.
The assumption is that Varang's return will coincide with her and the Ash People remaining a threat to the main heroes. But the RDA and humanity are also sure to pose larger problems for Pandora's future, likely looking to replicate Spider's miraculous transformation in some fashion. All told, Avatar 4 will hope to deliver an epic and emotionally impactful story whenever it comes.
Release Date
December 19, 2029
Producers
Jon Landau
English (US) ·