The visionary creator of theAvatarfranchise,James Cameron, has now shownAvatar: Fire and Ashto a few select viewers and, so far, the early reception is overwhelmingly positive. The third entry in the franchise is in post-production and is set to be released on July 27, 2025, and though many details remain under wraps, Cameron has revealed that it’s the “most emotional” one so far. Cameron, who is mostly dedicated these days to shootingAvatarsequels and helping improve the technology that can make his films more impactful, spoke to the New Zealand outlet Stuff, revealing that he has already screenedAvatar 3.And the feedback was as good as he expected:
“I’ve shown it to a few selected people and the feedback has been that it’s definitely the most emotional and maybe the best of the three so far. We’ll find out, you know, but I feel pretty good about it. And the work is exceptional from the actors. It’s pretty heart-wrenching in a good way.”
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The Academy Award-winning director of films likeTerminator 2: Judgment Day,True LiesandTitanicis planning to stay in New Zealand for theremaining films of the franchiseabout the alien civilization. Cameron has found in Wellington a haven in terms of tax breaks and workforce: “We’re very good at some of the very high-tech stuff. You know, there are excellent VFX artists here, world-class. Historically, it’s been proven, it’s respected, and I feel it’s a place that’s worthy of investing.” Cameron added.
“I think we’ve got about 1000 people employed, mostly here in Wellington right now, and hopefully we’ll roll right over into [movies] four and five from that. Look, I love to make jobs here. We’re actually moving some of our people over from the US, and we’ll be hiring as well.”
With two films released so far, theAvatarfranchise is a major playerin terms of box office history.Avatar, released in 2009, had a box office performance of $2.9 billion, andAvatar: The Way of Water made over $2.3 billion in 2022.
James Cameron on the Use of AI in the ‘Avatar’ Franchise
Per a report by ComingSoon, Cameron also participated recently in a Q&A session in New Zealand, where he spewed out a few details aboutAvatar: Fire and Ash. The firstAvatarwas an introduction to a whole new world, with the sequel taking more than a decade to be produced. Reasons for the release gap vary, but it all came down to Cameron’s vision. And the director won’t release a movie if it doesn’t look great. Cameron’s relationship with technology is almost symbiotic, and for the secondAvatarfilm, in which water played a key part, the director decided to wait for the right technology. InAvatar: The Way of Water, the underwater sequences and all scenes involving water are nothing short of awe-inspiring.Now, imagine what he’s trying to achieve with fire.
In the Q&A, Cameron said something particularly interesting. Today,the use of AI in art is extremely polarizing, with many saying that the use of this technology is inevitable, while others are adamant that there’s no place for AI in movies and television. In the case of Cameron’s films, fans can rest assured, as the director confirms he won’t use generative AI in the upcoming movies, and he said that forAvatar 3, he plans to include a title card that will state “no generative A.I. was used in the making of this movie."
Sources:Stuff/ComingSoon
Avatar: Fire and Ash
