James Cameron revisits 'Avatar: The Way of Water' as 'Fire and Ash' nears its releases

Filmmaker James Cameron is breaking his own rules as he races to complete Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third chapter of his ambitious sci-fi saga. Known for imposing a “moratorium” on rewatching his films once they’re released, Cameron admitted he’s been revisiting Avatar: The Way of Water to maintain thematic consistency across the franchise as the new film approaches its December release.

“We’re going through the finish of the VFX now — we have been for the last two years, but we’re really coming down to the wire now,” Cameron told Variety. “I want to be thematically consistent about the way music was used and underscored during dialogue scenes and things like that. So I have rewatched it. It’s a pretty good ride, I have to say.”

The 2022 sequel, which earned $2.3 billion globally, returned to theatres on October 2 ahead of the third film’s release in December. The Way of Water expanded the family saga of Jake Sully and Neytiri, introducing new characters and emotional stakes that Cameron says will pay off in Fire and Ash.

In one of the most revealing anecdotes from the interview, Cameron shared that he made a major story change late in the process: bringing back Jake’s legendary Toruk, the massive red flying creature from the original 2009 film. “I’ve always been waiting for the question, ‘Why doesn’t he just go get the big red bird and kill everybody like he used to do?’” Cameron said. “I went, ‘Oh, he’s got to go get the bird.’ I was saving it for a later film. I was like, ‘F*** that! He should get the bird. Get the Toruk.’”

The director rewrote scenes and shot new material around this idea, saying the addition fits “beautifully” into Jake’s arc. It’s a rare glimpse into how Cameron continues to reshape the narrative even deep into post-production.

Behind the scenes, the filmmaker is also reshaping the way his team approaches visual effects. Moving away from a purely technical mindset, Cameron has fostered what he calls a “creative culture” among VFX artists — encouraging them to understand the narrative purpose of each shot. This new approach has led to some shots being approved on first viewing, a rarity in effects-heavy filmmaking.

Most of The Way of Water and Fire and Ash was filmed between 2017 and 2019, meaning the production spans more than half a decade. Cameron admits this creates “a weird cognitive dissonance,” but he remains confident in the material and the evolving storytelling.

Looking ahead, Disney has slated Avatar 4 and 5 for 2029 and 2031, respectively.