The fate of the Avatar franchise has seemingly been confirmed as Fire & Ash finishes its $1.4 billion run at the box office.
Released in theaters on December 19, Fire and Ash has been another box office success, making $1.48 billion, but is also the franchise’s lowest-grossing film after 2009’s Avatar ($2.92 billion) and 2022’s The Way of Water ($2.33 billion). Two more sequels are planned for 2029 and 2031, though their release has always been dependent on Fire and Ash’s performance at the box office.
Now, on Disney’s updated release calendar, released on March 20, Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 are still dated for 2029 and 2031, respectively, which reaffirms that they will be released eventually. Avatar 4 is still scheduled for December 21, while Avatar 5 remains dated for December 19.
Co-written and directed once again by James Cameron, Avatar: Fire and Ash continues following the human-turned-Na’vi, Jake Sully, and his family living on the moon Pandora, as they confront a dual threat from the human RDA forces and the Mangkwan, a fierce war-driven Na’vi tribe aligned with them.
Avatar: Fire and Ash’s cast includes Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet reprising their roles from previous films. New cast members include Oona Chaplin as Varang and David Thewlis as Peylak.
Fire and Ash will finish its box office run around $1.486 billion against its estimated production budget of $350 million, making it one of the most expensive movies ever made. While it’s been a box office success and the third-highest-grossing film of 2025, it’s also the franchise’s lowest-grossing film after the original Avatar’s $2.924 billion and The Way of Water’s $2.334 billion.
What To Know About Avatar 4 & 5
Since the first act includes a six-year time jump, about one-third of Avatar 4 has already been filmed to account for the aging of the child actors. However, while director James Cameron started filming Avatar 4, he was waiting to continue until after the release of Fire and Ash to see how it performs commercially.
Parts of Avatar 5 will be set on Earth, as Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) travels to the planet, while Avatar: The Quest for Eywa is being considered as a possible title for the fifth film.
The Avatar Franchise’s Future Beyond 4 & 5
Neytiri from James Cameron’s movie Avatar
James Cameron has indicated that he would contemplate sixth and seventh installments in the franchise if audience demand for additional sequels persists. However, he has admitted that he might not be able to direct them himself, as he will be 77 years old by the release of the fifth film, though he hopes to mentor a successor to continue the Avatar franchise if needed.