If you thought Avatar and its sequel The Way Of Water were long, get ready for Fire and Ash.
According to franchise creator and director James Cameron, Fire and Ash will be the longest film in the Avatar trilogy to date, but there’s a good reason why. For context, the original 2009 Avatar film ran for two hours and 42 minutes, while 2022’s The Way Of Water ran for three hours and 12 minutes.
Speaking to Empire Magazine recently, Cameron shared that The Way Of Water had “too many great ideas” that were introduced that required being split into two films.
‘Avatar’ director James Cameron. Credit: Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images
Cameron explained: “In a nutshell, we had too many great ideas packed into act one of [The Way Of Water]. The Way of Water, in retrospect, was moving like a bullet train, and we weren’t drilling down enough on character. So I said, ‘Guys, we’ve got to split it.’ [Fire and Ash] will actually be a little bit longer than [The Way Of Water].”
Amanda Silver, a co-writer on both The Way of Water and Fire And Ash added that the films characters will only benefit from having their character arcs develop over two films: “The characters needed to breath. These movies are a lot more than just propulsive plot and gorgeous spectacle. I mean, these are real characters.”
Avatar: Fire and Ash is set for release on December 19.
Last month, Cameron seemingly confirmed that the upcoming film will open with an anti-AI disclaimer: “No generative AI was used in the making of this movie”. James Cameron’s aversion to AI shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as the filmmaker in July 2023 spoke out against the technology, referencing his sci-fi classic Terminator when asked what he thought of AI’s rise in the entertainment industry: “I warned you guys in 1984, and you didn’t listen.”
‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’. CREDIT: Disney/20th Century Studios
Cameron added that he doesn’t believe the technology behind AI will be able to replace writers, saying: “It’s never an issue of who wrote it, it’s a question of, is it a good story?”
Elsewhere, James Cameron recently confirmed that Michelle Yeoh will not be starring in the movie but she will feature in its sequel. Yeoh was first announced to join the Avatar franchise in 2019. Cameron previously revealed he shot scenes for the third and fourth films in the franchise in advance to avoid Stranger Things-style ageing issues with the younger cast members. He also previously revealed that he was prepared to end the franchise after the third film if The Way Of Water wasn’t a box office success.
In a four-star review of Avatar: The Way Of Water for NME, Ali Shutler wrote: “Bigger, bolder and definitely better than the original, Avatar: The Way Of Water pushes the technical boundaries of cinema without feeling like a science experiment. It really does need to be seen on the biggest screen possible through a pair of awkward 3D glasses. Unlike its predecessor though, you won’t forget this experience in a hurry.”
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