Just a heads-up. The last Best Picture contender left to be screened, unless you believe in Anaconda’s Oscar chances, is James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” We now know when it’ll be officially unveiled for critics.
Press screening invites are starting to go out for the film, and most of us, myself included, will be seeing it on the morning of December 1. The social media embargo is set to lift on December 2 at 1:30 a.m.—yes, a.m.—and the review embargo will lift on December 16, three days before the film hits theaters.
After receiving its MPA-approved PG-13 rating, the runtime for “Avatar: Fire and Ash” was recently confirmed at 3 hours and 15 minutes. It’s the longest major studio movie of 2025. The sequel is clearly aiming for a hefty slate of Oscar nominations, and that will likely depend on the reviews dropping December 16.
Right now, Cameron’s future depends heavily on the performance of “Fire and Ash” — if it’s a big success, he may move straight into “Avatar 4” and “Avatar 5.” However, rising VFX costs and questions about profitability could push him toward taking a break, tackling smaller projects, or slotting in his WWII nuclear drama “Ghosts of Hiroshima” before continuing the saga.
This third ‘Avatar’ comes with hefty expectations. “The Way of Water,” released in late 2022, cost $400M to produce and became that year’s most profitable movie, grossing $2.3 billion worldwide. It also positioned James Cameron as the only filmmaker in history to have three movies among the top 20 highest-grossing films of all time. Will this be his fourth?
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” is set for theatrical release on December 19, 2025.