by Adam B. Vary, Variety
“Avatar” director James Cameron and stars Zoe Saldaña and Sam Worthington revealed first official title for the third “Avatar” film on Friday during the D23 expo: “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”
While Cameron didn’t preview any footage, he did showcase some concept art from the film, including Neytiri (Saldaña) riding a banshee, what appeared to be giant airships, and a first look at the fearsome Ash People of the Na’vi, covered in ghost-like soot and otherworldly masks as they dance around a giant fire pit.
“You’ll see a lot more Pandora that you never saw before,” Cameron said. “It’s an insane adventure and a feast for the eyes, but it’s also got very high emotional stakes, more than ever before,” Cameron said during the presentation. “We’re going into really challenging territory for all the characters you know and love.”
Cameron shot “Fire and Ash” back-to-back with 2022’s “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which depicts the war between humanity and the Na’vi after the rapacious Resources Development Administration (RDA) returns to the alien moon of Pandora. By the end of “The Way of Water,” the family of Jake Sully (Worthington) and Neytiri (Saldaña) successfully fight back an RDA assault against the aquatic Metkayina clan and the whale-like Tulkuns with which they live in harmony. But their eldest son is killed in the fighting, and the RDA remains deeply entrenched on Pandora.
“Fire and Ash” will pick up soon after those events, as Jake and Neytiri encounter the Ash People, who Cameron has hinted are drawn more to violence and power than other clans.
“There are new characters, one especially I think you’re gonna love, or love to hate,” Cameron said.
Oona Chaplin (“Game of Thrones”) plays the leader of the Ash People, Varang. David Thewlis and Michelle Yeoh are also joining the cast.
Along with Worthington and Saldaña, the returning cast includes Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Britain Dalton, Jack Champion, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Bailey Bass, Joel David Moore, Edie Falco and Dileep Rao.
“The Way of Water” and “Fire and Ash” are both written by Cameron, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. Originally, they were meant to be a single film, but during the writing process, Cameron decided there was too much material and split the story into two parts.
Cameron has produced all of the “Avatar” films with his longtime creative partner Jon Landau, who died in July of cancer at 63. “His legacy is not just the films he produced, but the personal example he set — indomitable, caring, inclusive, tireless, insightful and utterly unique,” Cameron said in a statement at the time. “He produced great films, not by wielding power but by spreading warmth and the joy of making cinema. He inspired us all to be and to bring our best, every day. I have lost a dear friend, and my closest collaborator of 31 years. A part of myself has been torn away.”
