Clear Your Calendar: James Cameron Reveals the Epic Runtime for Avatar: Fire and Ash

James Cameron has done the most James Cameron thing imaginable: he says Avatar 3 is about three hours long, and also casually admits he went back to shoot new scenes so Jake can ride the big red sky monster again. Honestly, no one is shocked.

So how long is Avatar: Fire and Ash?

Per Cameron, expect something in the ballpark of three hours. He told Variety the new cut clocks in around that mark. That tracks with Avatar: The Way of Water, which ran 3 hours and 12 minutes. If you were hoping for a breezy 120-minute Pandoran vacation, that ship sailed in 2009.

'I went, Oh, he has got to go get the bird... I was saving it for a later film. I was like, Fuck that! He should get the bird. Get the Toruk... We are at three hours, big surprise! But it works beautifully.'

Yes, Jake and the Toruk are back

This is the fun inside-baseball part. Cameron says the Toruk (the giant, once-in-a-generation apex flyer Jake tamed in the first movie) was not originally in Fire and Ash. Then he changed his mind, rewrote pages, and actually went back to shoot two or three new scenes to bring it into the story. He also tossed some material to make room for it. The upshot: more Jake-on-Toruk, and, surprise, a longer runtime. He frames it as part of Jake's destiny, which, if you know Cameron, means it is not a cameo — it matters.

Where the movie is in post

Fire and Ash is deep in the home stretch. Cameron says they have been finishing visual effects for the last two years and are now down to the wire. He is also focused on keeping the music approach consistent — specifically how the score sits under dialogue — and has been rewatching the cut. His verdict: it plays like a pretty good ride.

Who made it and who is back

Cameron is directing again and co-wrote the script with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. 20th Century Studios is releasing the film on December 19, 2025.

• Sam Worthington
• Zoe Saldana
• Sigourney Weaver
• Stephen Lang
• Giovanni Ribisi
• Kate Winslet
• Cliff Curtis
• Trinity Jo-Li Bliss
• Jack Champion
• Bailey Bass
• Edie Falco
• ...and more

What this one is exploring

Fire and Ash dives into new corners of Pandora, with the 'Ash People' representing the element of fire. Cameron has said he wants to show Na'vi culture from another angle — not just their best selves — which should complicate the picture in a good way.

Bottom line: plan on a three-hour return trip to Pandora on December 19, 2025, with fresh VFX, a score tuned to the franchise's vibe, and Jake back on his big, scary bird. Sounds like Cameron being Cameron.