Avatar 3 Star Reacts to ‘Amazing’ First Footage From James Cameron Sequel

As a cinephile who has been fortunate enough to traverse the cinematic landscapes of various decades, I must say that my excitement for the upcoming Avatar franchise is as unyielding as a Na’vi warrior defending her clan. Having experienced the groundbreaking visual effects in the first film and its sequel, The Way of Water, I can confidently attest to James Cameron‘s unparalleled ability to bring breathtaking, otherworldly landscapes to life on the big screen.

Giovanni Ribisi is one of the few lucky people who have already been able to see some footage of the franchise’s upcoming sequel, Avatar 3. Now officially titled Avatar: Fire and Ash, the follow-up is set to be released on December 19, 2025, and the film is currently in post-production. Hence, Cameron’s refusal to show any footage during 2024’s D23 event. Things are simply not ready. But, while talking to The Direct at a red carpet event for Strange Darling (which he produced but also participated in as cinematographer), Ribisi revealed more about the current status of Avatar: Fire and Ash, saying that he has now seen “a little bit” of the movie and declaring it “amazing.”

Recently, we completed some filming for the project titled “Fire and Ash” in New Zealand about two months back. I had a glimpse of it, and let me tell you, it’s truly remarkable. Words can hardly express my admiration for it. I am incredibly excited to see the final product!

In the “Avatar” movies, the actor plays the character of Parker Selfridge, a ruthless former administrator for the Resources Development Administration (RDA), which is the mining corporation causing destruction on Pandora. Although his role hasn’t been central so far, it’s still significant because he embodies the corporate perspectives that the movies criticize. Interestingly, Selfridge will continue to appear throughout the “Avatar” series, all the way up to “Avatar 5”, the final installment of the saga.

James Cameron’s Groundbreaking Visual Effects in Avatar

2009 marked the debut of Cameron’s grand, epic, and groundbreaking vision with the film “Avatar.” At that point, the director had been relatively inactive in Hollywood for a dozen years. The movie was a tremendous success for him, eventually becoming the highest-earning film ever (until “Avengers: Endgame” took over this position a decade later). It laid the foundation for more of Cameron’s world, leading to several sequels. However, Cameron refers to it as a “hastily produced work,” implying that viewers should exercise patience.

Over a decade since the initial Avatar movie premiered, the long-awaited sequel, titled Avatar: The Way of Water, finally hit the screens. As expected, director James Cameron delivered another masterpiece that breathes life into the kind of cinematic magic we all dream about. The follow-up offers a fresh landscape, where water plays a dominant role, making it crucial for the visuals to be stunning on the big screen – no small task, given the challenges in creating convincing CGI and other techniques for representing water. Yet, Cameron’s efforts were rewarded as the film won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects and left viewers spellbound by its revolutionary and lifelike portrayal of a distant alien world.

In Cameron’s Avatar series, the upcoming storyline will delve into the element of fire, as the new installment titled Avatar: Fire and Ash features Oona Chaplin, who starred in Taboo and Game of Thrones, taking on the role of Varang, the chief of a volcano-inhabiting tribe known as the “Ash People.”

The movie titled “Fire and Ash – Avatar” is scheduled for release on December 19, 2025. The subsequent parts, numbered 4 and 5, are set to follow suit in the years 2029 and 2031 respectively.

2024-08-28 15:39

James Cameron’s Groundbreaking Visual Effects in Avatar

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