Avatar Fire and Ash to introduce new villains, reveal presence of evil Na'vi on Pandora, first footage shows

The third Avatar movie from James Cameron is set to introduce new adversaries for the Sully family on Pandora.

Published on: Apr 4, 2025, 14:36:48 IST

By Abhimanyu Mathur

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The Na'vi race has so far been portrayed as the protagonists of James Cameron's Avatar saga. The first two films pitted them against human ‘colonisers’ as the villains. But Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third film in the franchise, is set to change that.

Avatar Fire and Ash hits the screens on December 19 this year.

James Cameron reveals the villains of Avatar 3

The next installment of the Avatar movie franchise will introduce a new challenge to the Sully family on the moon of Pandora, director James Cameron said as Walt Disney unveiled the first footage from the film on Thursday.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is scheduled to debut in movie theaters in December, continuing the saga of the blue Na'vi people. Sam Worthington plays Jake Sully, and Zoe Saldana portrays his wife, Neytiri.

Cameron delivered remarks via video to the CinemaCon convention of theater owners in Las Vegas. The Sully family "are really put through the ringer" in the new film, Cameron said from New Zealand, where he is finishing work on the movie.

"They face not only the human invaders, but new adversaries - the Ash people," he said. "I’m sending you a reel to give a taste of the spectacle, and the increased emotional heart and soul," Cameron added.

Can Avatar Fire and Ash revive Hollywood?

Cinema operators are eager to show the next Avatar. The first installment ranks as the top box office hit of all time while part two is ranked third. Avengers: Endgame sits in between.

So far this year, overall movie ticket sales in the United States and Canada are running 11% below last year. "I hope this film can provide a shot in the arm for theater owners," Cameron said. "We're still struggling after the one-two punch of the pandemic and streaming."

Saldana appeared in person at CinemaCon and said the movie will also introduce the wind traders, "a peaceful, nomadic air traveling clan." The film also stars Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao, Matt Gerald, Kate Winslet, along with David Thewliss and Oona Chaplin. Avatar: Fire and Ash will release worldwide on December 19.

(With Reuters inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

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