In an age where screen-based media is becoming increasingly bite-sized, it's always a risk when a movie comes along that hits the rare three-hour mark, but Avatar is on the brink of doing just that for the second installment in a row. In 2022, Avatar: The Way of Water had audiences in their cinema seats for three hours and twelve minutes, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who was trying to ignore all the water on the screen after drinking a large soda.
Regardless, James Cameron seems to be upping the ante yet again, with AMC listing Avatar: Fire and Ash at a whopping three hours and fifteen minutes. The extra three minutes, while a drop in the ocean of The Way of Water's runtime, would still make Fire and Ash the longest movie in the series. It remains to be seen if the information on AMC's site is correct, and exactly how Cameron will use the immense amount of screentime available to him.
I hope Avatar: Fire and Ash makes its long runtime worthwhile
I really enjoyed the first two Avatar movies. The first installment from 2009 clocked in at two hours and forty-two minutes, and while it was slightly longer than other blockbusters, it still wasn't unreasonably bloated. Where I thought it fell down slightly was the plot's unoriginality, but the amount of effort that had gone into the movie's visual elements more than made up for the storyline's shortcomings. It was a truly immersive experience, and I can understand why it made so much money at the box office.
The Way of Water, on the other hand, did feel a bit too long to me. It was still a masterclass in special effects, but the extra 20ish minutes seemed to be dedicated to the Na'vi swimming around and bonding. I don't think it was all entirely necessary, as even a stunning spectacle like the Avatar franchise starts to get a little old if nothing is really happening. But again, I liked the second movie as well.
Fire and Ash's rumored runtime suggests that Cameron is aiming for a formula closer to the second Avatar movie than the first, and that worries me. While the Fire and Ash trailers look jam-packed with high-octane action sequences, I often find Avatar's worldbuilding — or moonbuilding, should I say — to be the franchise's most rewarding quality.
It's exciting that we're about to see another part of Pandora, but it'll only be fulfilling if the shift in setting enhances the story rather than simply giving Cameron and company different locations to set Fire and Ash's lingering shots of exploration and character reflection. I'm not saying those things aren't important, but I've always found that there is a difficult balance that must be struck, and The Way of Water only just about pulled it off.
When Fire and Ash (and other other Avatar movies) are being released
The third Avatar movie is scheduled for international theatrical release on December 19, 2025. So, there's not very long to go before you can settle into your cinema seat and take it all in. Originally, it was supposed to have been out by now, but a combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the SAG-AFTRA strikes caused delays across the movie and TV industry.
After Fire and Ash, there are still two more upcoming Avatar movies with confirmed release dates. Originally called The Tulkun Rider, Avatar 4's title is currently up in the air, but it is slated to arrive in cinemas on December 21, 2029. Finally, Avatar 5 — which was once rumored to be called The Search for Eywa — is expected to arrive on December 19, 2031. By the time the fifth movie premieres, 22 years will have passed since the first movie in the series hit cinema screens. There have been mentions of future Avatar movies beyond 2031, but none have been officially greenlit.
Avatar: Fire and Ash will hit movie theaters on December 19, 2025.