Fire & Ash May Or May Not Be The Last Avatar Film — But The Franchise Will Live On
James Cameron has a backup plan for the Avatar saga if Fire & Ash doesn’t meet expectations.
James Cameron’s Avatar franchise feels way too big to fail. The visually lush, technologically impossible film series proved it was much more than a one-hit wonder with Avatar: The Way of Water, a sequel 13 years in the making. Both it and the original Avatar grossed a little over $2 billion, so betting against the next film in the franchise feels a bit counterintuitive. Still, there’s a chance, however small, that Fire & Ash doesn’t meet the same record-breaking standards as its predecessors. Even Cameron is aware of a potential box office disappointment — and has a few ideas worth pivoting to in that event.
In a recent interview with Matt Belloni for The Town podcast, Cameron laid out his loose contingency for the future of the Avatar franchise. Though just last year the director seemed determined to see the saga through at least to Avatar 5, he now seems ready to close this chapter of his life if necessary. “I have no doubt in my mind that this movie will make money,” he told Belloni. “The question is, does it make enough money to justify doing it again?”
Fire & Ash cost “one metric f*** ton of money, which means we have to make two metric f*** tons of money to make a profit.” Given the event status of the past two Avatar films, it’s hard to see Fire & Ash failing to dominate the box office — but in the off-chance it doesn’t, Cameron is “absolutely” prepared to walk away. The upcoming film reportedly keeps loose threads to a minimum, and could feasibly bring this saga to an end on the big screen. That said, this tale won’t end with Fire & Ash, even if it is the last film we get.
There’s a chance the Avatar saga ends with Fire & Ash — at least on the big screen.
“There is one open thread, and if it ends there theatrically, I’ll write a book,” Cameron revealed.
It’s difficult to consider the world of Pandora — a world brought to life with breathtaking visual effects — going from the big screen into books. The Avatar franchise is so visceral, so vibrant, that it feels made for film, however taxing it is to create. Given its continued relevance, most of the world seems to agree. Still, it makes total sense that Cameron is thinking of contingencies. However incredible these films are, they are risky endeavors. Given how much time and money he’s poured into this saga, each sequel has to make as much money, maybe even more, than whatever came before.
Cameron has made concrete plans for a five-film saga, and has ideas for seven total — but interest in the Avatar franchise could turn on a dime. There’s a world where its box office success dries up before Cameron can complete this undertaking, but at least it’s clear the filmmaker won’t give up on the franchise completely.
