James Cameron Breaks His Rule to Rewatch Avatar: The Way of Water — Calls It a Pretty Good Ride

James Cameron is putting Pandora back on the big screen again: three years after its original run, 'Avatar: The Way of Water' is back in US theaters today. And yes, he rewatched it himself. His verdict? It still plays.

'It is a pretty good ride.'

Why Cameron broke his own rule

Cameron told Variety he usually gives his movies a couple of years of mental space after release. He does not love rewatching too soon because it keeps him in picky-filmmaker mode instead of just being an audience member. But he had to make an exception this time while finishing the next chapter, 'Avatar: Fire and Ash.'

Here is the inside-baseball part: he wanted the new film to line up with how music and underscore are used in dialogue-heavy scenes, so he went back through 'The Way of Water' to keep that thematic throughline intact. Meanwhile, the 'Fire and Ash' visual effects have been ongoing for about two years, and the team is now down to the wire.

A quick refresher on 'The Way of Water'

The sequel brought us back to Pandora 13 years after the original 'Avatar.' Story-wise, Jake Sully and Neytiri moved their family to the ocean-based Metkayina clan after humans leveled their home. That relocation set up the sequel’s aquatic worldbuilding and, ultimately, the loss that will drive the next movie.

What 'Fire and Ash' is actually about

Set one year after the end of 'The Way of Water,' 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' follows Jake and Neytiri as they process Neteyam’s death and face off with a new Na'vi faction known as the Ash People, who are described as aggressive. Expect grief, fallout, and a different corner of Pandora’s culture.

• Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet return; 'Game of Thrones' alum Oona Chaplin joins as Varang.
• Timeline: 'Fire and Ash' takes place one year after the events of 'The Way of Water.'
• Production status: Cameron says the VFX work on 'Fire and Ash' has been ongoing for roughly two years and is now in the final stretch, with attention on keeping the music and dialogue underscore in sync with the last film’s approach.
• Release dates: 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' opens December 19, 2025. 'Avatar 4' is slated for 2029.
• Re-release note: 'The Way of Water' returns to US theaters today if you want a big-screen refresher.