James Cameron is taking audiences deeper into Pandora with Avatar: Fire and Ash, and 20th Century Studios has just dropped the first full trailer and poster for the film. The third installment of the record-shattering franchise will open exclusively in theaters worldwide on December 19, 2025, across premium 3D formats including IMAX 3D, Dolby Cinema 3D, RealD 3D, ScreenX, 4DX, and Cinemark XD.
A New Enemy: The Ash People
The trailer gives the first look at the Mangkwan clan, also known as the Ash People—a Na’vi tribe hardened by survival. Once a forest community destroyed by volcanic eruption, their unanswered cries to Eywa left them disillusioned. Now led by Varang (Oona Chaplin), the clan views fire as “the only pure thing in this world,” and plans to spread it across Pandora no matter the cost.
The Ash People join forces with Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and human forces still seeking to exploit Pandora, creating the most formidable threat yet for Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and their family.
Raising the Stakes
The trailer also reveals a twist: Spider (Jack Champion), the human boy raised among the Na’vi, can now breathe Pandora’s air without a mask. If this breakthrough can be replicated, humanity’s colonization efforts could advance faster than ever—intensifying the Sully family’s fight for survival.
Cameron, known for pushing visual storytelling, expands Pandora’s landscapes with volcanic ashlands, new Na’vi cultures, and massive new creatures. Audiences also get a glimpse of the return of the Toruk Makto, along with large-scale battles across land, sea, and sky.
Cast and Creative Team
The film features returning stars Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, Giovanni Ribisi, Bailey Bass, Britain Dalton, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, and Jack Champion. Newcomers include Oona Chaplin, David Thewlis, and Michelle Yeoh.
Fire and Ash is written by James Cameron with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, from a story by Cameron, Jaffa, Silver, Josh Friedman, and Shane Salerno.
Building on a Global Legacy
Avatar (2009) remains the highest-grossing film of all time, earning $2.9 billion worldwide. Its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), grossed $2.3 billion and won the Oscar® for Best Visual Effects. Ahead of Fire and Ash, The Way of Water will return to theaters for a one-week 3D re-release starting October 3, 2025.
Future installments are already in motion, with Avatar 4 slated for 2029 and Avatar 5 planned for 2031.
With Fire and Ash, Cameron raises both the spectacle and the conflict. Pandora has never looked more breathtaking—or more dangerous.