Hideo Kojima Raves About Avatar: Fire and Ash and Says It Will Shape His Next Game
Game auteur Hideo Kojima is all-in on the Avatar threequel, raving about its ambition and jaw-dropping scale.
If you follow Hideo Kojima, you already know the man loves his movies. He also has a tell: when a film doesn’t land for him, his tweet is short and polite; when he’s in love, he writes a novella. His reaction to James Cameron’s latest, "Avatar: Fire and Ash," is firmly in the love-letter camp.
Kojima’s take: maximal craft, zero compromise
Kojima watched "Fire and Ash" in 3D IMAX and spun out a 200-plus-word post about it. The headline for him: Cameron’s worldbuilding and craftsmanship are all-in, down to the tiniest texture. Kojima even invoked the old chestnut about God living in the details, then said this movie actually follows through on that idea, calling it flat-out magnificent.
He also drew a line between Cameron’s approach and his own career-long obsession with blending art and entertainment through bleeding-edge tech. And in a moment when AI talk eats the air in every room, he went out of his way to celebrate the human hands behind digital filmmaking.
"CG works are also created by people. Countless actors, artists, and programmers pour their thoughts and passion into them, breathing life into the work."
Kojima wrapped by saying the film gave him renewed pride and courage to keep pushing forward with digital tools. He literally thanked Cameron for the boost.
Why that hits right now
That last bit matters because Kojima has been unusually candid lately about feeling the clock. He turned 60, battled serious health issues during the COVID years, and told GQ UK he’s got a long to-do list he’s racing to finish. His words: "I feel nervous. I feel rushed. I still have a lot of things I want to do - that I need to do." He’s even stashed a USB drive full of game concepts in case the worst happens. So yeah, a movie lighting a fire under him is notable.
- The "Fire and Ash" post went up on December 21, 2025.
- He saw it in 3D IMAX and praised the film’s no-compromise detail work.
- He pushed back on the idea that digital equals easy, crediting the human talent behind CG.
- On deck for him: "Physint" and "OD," with the latter starring Sophia Lillis and Hunter Schafer.
If "Fire and Ash" is the spark that keeps Kojima experimenting and blurring the line between film tech and game design, that’s a win for all of us. "Avatar: Fire and Ash" is in theaters now.