“Avatar” director James Cameron and stars Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington revealed the first look at the third film in the “Avatar” series on Friday at the D23 Expo, which will be titled “Avatar: Fire and Ashes.”
Cameron is filming Fire and Ashes in the wake of 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water , which depicts the war between humanity and the Na’vi people after the greedy Resource Development Administration (RDA) returns to the alien moon Pandora. By the end of The Way of Water , Jake Sully (Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Saldania) family have successfully repelled the RDA’s attack on the aquatic Mitkaena and the whale-like Tulkons with whom they live in harmony. But their eldest son is killed in the fighting, and the RDA remains deeply entrenched on Pandora.
“Fire and Ashes” will pick up shortly after those events, as Jake and Neytiri face off against the “Ash People,” a Na’vi clan that Cameron hints is more prone to violence and power than other clans. Oona Chaplin (“Game of Thrones”) plays their leader, the Farang. David Thewlis and Michelle Yeoh also join the cast.
“It’s a crazy adventure and it’s fun to look at, but it’s also got a lot more emotional stakes than ever before,” Cameron said during the presentation. “We’re entering challenging territory for all the characters you know and love.”
In addition to Worthington and Saldana, the returning cast includes Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Brittain Dalton, Jack Champion, Trinity Jo Lee Place, Billy Bass, Joel David Moore, Edie Falco, and Dilip Rao.
Cameron, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver wrote The Way of Water and Fire and Ashes. Originally, they were supposed to be one film, but during the writing process, Cameron decided there was too much material and split the story into two parts.
Cameron produced all of the “Avatar” films with his creative partner John Landau, who died of cancer in July at the age of 63. “His legacy is not just the films he made, but the personal example he set — indomitable, compassionate, inclusive, tireless, insightful and utterly unique,” Cameron said in a statement at the time. “He made incredible films, not by wielding power but by spreading the warmth and joy of filmmaking. He inspired all of us to be and be our best selves, every day. I have lost a dear friend, and my closest collaborator for 31 years. A part of myself has been torn away.”
