History of Avatar: Fire and Ash in Timeline

Avatar: Fire and Ash is an upcoming science fiction film, the third installment in the Avatar series, co-produced, co-edited, and directed by James Cameron, who co-wrote the screenplay. Produced and distributed by 20th Century Studios, it follows Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). Many cast members reprise their roles from previous films, including Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, and Sigourney Weaver. David Thewlis and Oona Chaplin join the cast as new characters.

January 2010: Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña confirmed

In January 2010, it was confirmed that Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña signed on to reprise their roles in the sequels.

February 2016: Production Scheduled to Begin

In February 2016, production for the Avatar sequels was scheduled to begin in April 2016 in New Zealand.

April 2016: Crew Members Joined

In April 2016, Russell Carpenter, who worked with Cameron on True Lies and Titanic, and art director Aashrita Kamath, joined as crew members for the four sequels.

June 2017: Oona Chaplin Joins Cast

In June 2017, Oona Chaplin joined the cast of Avatar: Fire and Ash as Varang, "a strong and vibrant central character who spans the entire saga of the sequels".

July 31, 2017: Weta Digital Commences Work

On July 31, 2017, it was announced that Weta Digital, a visual effects studio based in New Zealand, began working on the Avatar sequels.

August 2017: Stephen Lang Returning as Main Villain

In August 2017, Cameron revealed that Stephen Lang would be returning in all four sequels as the main villain in all four films.

August 2017: Matt Gerald Signed On

In August 2017, Matt Gerald officially signed on to portray his first film's role Corporal Lyle Wainfleet in all upcoming sequels.

September 25, 2017: Avatar: Fire and Ash Started Shooting

On September 25, 2017, simultaneous shooting for Avatar: Fire and Ash and Avatar: The Way of Water began in New Zealand.

October 3, 2017: Kate Winslet Signed On

On October 3, 2017, Kate Winslet signed on for all four Avatar sequels in an unspecified role.

November 26, 2017: Cameron on Sequels

In a November 26, 2017, interview, Cameron stated: "Let's face it, if Avatar 2 and 3 don't make enough money, there's not going to be a 4 and 5."

January 25, 2018: Dileep Rao Confirmed

On January 25, 2018, Dileep Rao was confirmed to return as Dr. Max Patel.

February 2018: Thewlis Confirmed

In February 2018, David Thewlis later confirmed that "they're making 2 and 3, they're gonna see if people go and see them, and then they'll make 4 and 5".

April 2018: David Thewlis Revealed Involvement

In April 2018, David Thewlis revealed his involvement in the Avatar franchise, stating that he would be featured in three of the four sequels.

November 14, 2018: Principal Performance Capture Completed

On November 14, 2018, Cameron announced that filming with the principal performance capture cast had been completed for Avatar: The Way of Water and Avatar: Fire and Ash.

November 2018: Potential Title Reported

In November 2018, BBC News reported that Avatar: The Seed Bearer was a potential title for the film.

November 2018: Weaver in Avatar 4 and 5

In November 2018, Sigourney Weaver stated that she was currently "busy doing Avatar 4 and 5", which several media outlets interpreted as confirmation that the last two sequels had started filming.

January 2019: Disney CEO Confirms Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 Development

In January 2019, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 were being developed, but had not been officially green-lit, in light of the proposed acquisition of 21st Century Fox by The Walt Disney Company.

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February 2019: Jon Landau Clarifies Avatar Sequels' Production Status

In February 2019, producer Jon Landau clarified that Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 were already greenlit, and one-third of Avatar 4 had already been filmed, suggesting a misinterpretation of Disney CEO Bob Iger's previous statement.

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2019: Live-Action Filming Commenced

In early 2019, live-action filming for Avatar: Fire and Ash and its predecessor commenced in New Zealand.

January 2020: David Thewlis Character Reveal

In January 2020, David Thewlis stated that his character was a Na'vi.

March 17, 2020: Filming Postponed

On March 17, 2020, producer Jon Landau announced that filming of the Avatar sequel films in New Zealand had been postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with production remaining in Los Angeles. However, visual effects work continued at Weta Digital in Wellington.

June 1, 2020: Cameron and Landau Returned to New Zealand

On June 1, 2020, Landau posted a picture of himself and Cameron on Instagram, indicating they had returned to New Zealand to resume filming.

June 2020: David Thewlis Avatar: Fire and Ash Role

In June 2020, David Thewlis clarified that he would be a part of Avatar: Fire and Ash up to Avatar 5.

August 2020: Release Date Pushed Back

In August 2020, a new release of December 20, 2024, was announced, after the release date was deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

September 2020: Percentage of Completion Announced

In September 2020, Cameron announced that 95% of Avatar: Fire and Ash had been completed.

December 2020: Filming Completed

In December 2020, filming for Avatar: Fire and Ash concluded after more than three years of shooting.

December 17, 2021: Release Date Announced

The recurring sequels: Avatar 4 and 5 releasing on December 20, 2024, and December 19, 2025, respectively, were announced on December 17, 2021.

September 2022: Production Officially Begins for Avatar 4

In September 2022, at the D23 Expo, James Cameron announced that production for Avatar 4 had officially begun.

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December 2022: James Cameron's First Cut

In December 2022, it was stated that James Cameron's first cut of Avatar: Fire and Ash had a running time of nine hours. Cameron later clarified that the nine hours of material referred to Avatar: Fire and Ash, Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 being each three-hour films for a total of nine hours.

June 13, 2023: Release Date Pushed Back

On June 13, 2023, the release date was again deferred due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, pushing the film to December 19, 2025.

December 22, 2023: Release Date Delayed

In May 2019, due to the announcement of three new Star Wars films, Avatar: Fire and Ash was pushed back two years and scheduled to be released on December 22, 2023.

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