Disney CEO Bob Iger Hails Avatar 3 as Magnificent, Overrules Executive Notes, James Cameron Says
Disney chief Bob Iger is all-in on Avatar: Fire and Ash, a jolt of confidence that supercharges the franchise and sets up a blockbuster return to Pandora.
James Cameron is back with an update on Avatar 3, and the short version is: it’s long, Bob Iger loved it, and yes, we’re meeting the Ash People. Also, there’s a very behind-the-scenes moment where Disney’s CEO basically ran interference for the movie on a notes call. Not something you hear every day.
Iger’s first watch: big praise, fewer notes
On The Town podcast, Cameron said Bob Iger tends to keep his powder dry until there’s actually something to watch. When Iger saw an early cut of Avatar: Fire and Ash, it was around 3 hours and 23 minutes long without credits. Since then, Cameron’s shaved roughly 18 to 20 minutes off.
"Yeah, I know you’re going to keep chopping away at it... But it’s magnificent. It’s magnificent."
That was Iger’s reaction, according to Cameron, followed by a simple: he loved the film. And when other executives on the Zoom started chiming in with notes, Iger pushed back with a version of: he didn’t have a problem with those things. Cameron’s read on the moment: that was the meeting.
For anyone wondering if Iger demanded a 3-hour-15 runtime: Cameron says no, that was not the ask.
About that runtime
AMC currently lists the theatrical runtime at 3 hours and 15 minutes including credits, which puts it a hair longer than The Way of Water. If you’re tracking the numbers:
- Early internal cut (no credits yet): about 3:23
- Current listing (with credits): 3:15
- Avatar: The Way of Water: 3:12
So yes, it’s a sit. Plan beverages and bathroom strategy accordingly.
What Fire and Ash actually is
This is the third Avatar film, headed back to Pandora for a new chapter centered on the Ash People. Cameron didn’t dig into plot specifics here, but that’s the headline: new culture, new corner of the world, same planet.
Where the sequels are at (from Quaritch himself)
Stephen Lang, who plays Quaritch, told GamesRadar+ that the long game on these movies can blur the timelines even for the cast. He hasn’t read Avatar 5 in something like seven to nine years and only has a hazy memory of it, while he knows Avatar 4 a bit better. That said, once production fully ramps on 4 and 5, he’ll be dialed in — and he’s genuinely excited to suit up for all of it. Performance-capture days are his happy place, apparently, and he says there isn’t a single scene he isn’t looking forward to.
Release date
Avatar: Fire and Ash lands in theaters on December 19.