James Cameron has never been afraid to take his time. Just over a month before the release ofAvatar: Fire and Ashesconsistent leaks from several cinema networks (IMAX, Cineplex, AMC Theaters) announce a record duration for the film. With 3 hours and 15 minutes on the clockit would be the longest part of the “Avatar” saga.
This third episode is released in theaters on December 19, 2025 and presents itself as a dark step, both narratively and thematically, in Pandora’s odyssey. Jake Sully, Neytiri, Spider, Quaritch, the Metkayina and the newcomers of the Mangkwan clan find themselves embroiled in a dense narrative arc, marked by internal divisions, betrayals and unexpected alliances.
Fire and Ashes, a record for the Avatar franchise
This duration would makeAvatar 3 the longest film ever made by Cameron for this license. For comparison, The Way of Waterreleased in 2022, lasted 3h12. And the very first Avatar, in 2009, was limited to 2h42 – before being extended several times in special edition and extended version.
Nothing surprising for those who know the filmmaker’s taste for fast-paced montages. Cameron had already extended the length of films like Aliens, Terminator 2 Or Titanicalways with particular care given to each scene. According to him, every minute on screen must be justified by the story or the staging.
Why such a length for Avatar: Fire and Ashes?
This length would be justified by the ambition of the story. At the end of “The Way of Water”, the group of heroes was fragmenting. Colonel Quaritch, now Na’vi, flew away on his Ikran, Neytiri and Jake joined the aquatic clan Metkayina, and the threat of a major conflict was already looming.
“Fire and Ashes” notably introduces the character of Varangplayed by Oona Chaplinhead of the Mangkwan clan, linked to the element of fire. This clan, according to first glimpses, would play a central role in the tensions to come. The film will also have to deal with the evolution of Spider, Quaritch’s dilemma, unresolved grief and the upheavals to come on Pandora. In short, Cameron wants to take the time to tell everything, without sacrificing emotion, visual breadth or narrative coherence.