Avatar 3: Release date, cast, plot, and more

Lawrence Scotti
Sam Worthington as Jake Sully in Avatar 2. He stands with water behind him at night.

When the Avatar 3 release date arrives, we’ll be back in Pandora’s gorgeous orbit. Here’s what’s confirmed about the plot, cast, and more.

Avatar The Way of Water was released in 2022 and became one of the highest-grossing movies of all time. Our Avatar 2 review called it “an awe-inspiring, cinematic hallelujah; James Cameron is back, and maybe he is the king of the world after all.”

This is not the end, though: Cameron has long had his eyes set on not just Avatar 2, but multiple sequels including Avatar 3, 4, and 5.

Avatar 3 is much closer than you might think because it was filmed back-to-back with The Way of Water. So, here’s what to expect from the Sullys this time around.

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When is the Avatar 3 release date?

Avatar 3’s release date is December 19, 2025, in cinemas.

Sigourney Weaver as Kiri in Avatar The Way of Water. She is swimming with fish in the sea.
More sequels are coming after Avatar 3.

This will be followed by the fourth film on December 21, 2029, and Avatar 5 on December 19, 2031.

Considering The Way of Water endured years of delays, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Avatar 3 pushed back if things don’t go to plan.

While he’s aired caution over the chances of Avatar 4 and 5, citing the necessary box office performance to make them feasible for Disney, he seems pretty sure audiences will return to Pandora soon.

As of February 2024, Avatar 3 is currently in production, according to Sam Worthington.

Who’s in the Avatar 3 cast?

Avatar 3 will bring back the main cast from Avatar 2, including Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, Sigourney Weaver as Kiri, and Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri. Michelle Yeoh will appear for the first time.

Jake Sully and Neytiri in Avatar 2. They stand with burning flames in the background.
Avatar 3 will continue to feature the Sully family.
  • Sam Worthington as Jake Sully
  • Sigourney Weaver as Kiri
  • Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri
  • Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch
  • CCH Pounder as Mo’at
  • Cliff Curtis as Tonowari
  • Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge
  • Dileep Rao as Dr. Max Patel
  • Joel David Moore as Dr. Norm Spellman
  • Edie Falco as General Frances Ardmore
  • Michelle Yeoh as Dr. Karina Mogue
  • Jemaine Clement as Dr. Ian Garvin
  • Matt Gerald as Corporal Lyle Wainfleet
  • Oona Chaplin as Varang
  • David Thewlis

What will the Avatar 3 plot be?

While plot details for Avatar 3 haven’t been confirmed, it’s expected to follow directly from the events of The Way of Water with Lo’ak taking over as narrator from Jake.

Sam Worthington as Jake Sully in Avatar 2. He is teaching his young son how to shoot a bow.
Avatar 3 is due in 2026.

While a specific journey for the Sully family hasn’t yet been outlined, the tragic fallout of Neteyam’s death will surely be the focal point while war continues to brew.

Cameron has confirmed Jake won’t be the narrator in the third chapter. Although he led the charge in the first two acts, his eldest son Lo’ak will now be narrating film number three.

“Lo’ak really emerged as a character that people went with,” Cameron said on the ‘Soundtracking with Edith Bowman’ podcast. “He’s already the narrator. I’m giving away something here, but this is ok.”

Moving forward, this will be a trend that continues down the line. A new narrator will step up for each subsequent film, starting with Lo’ak in Avatar 3.

Is there an Avatar 3 trailer?

No, there isn’t a trailer for Avatar 3. We’ll probably get a trailer by mid-2025.

While Avatar 3 is said to be “in the can”, it’s not due out until late 2025, so don’t expect any footage until early 2025, when we’re likely to get a short clip or title card reveal.

What is Avatar 3 called?

Avatar 3 doesn’t have a confirmed title. While previous rumors suggested it’d be called The Seed Bearer, that was debunked by the producer.

During a recent event for the new video game Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, producer Jon Landeau set rumors about the supposed Avatar 3 title straight to ComicBook.com.

“I’m qualified to tell you that that is not the title for Avatar 3,” Landeau stated. “That’s what my Wikipedia page says? That is getting changed tonight!”

Is there a nine-hour cut of Avatar 3?

James Cameron has disproved the rumor of a nine-hour-long rough cut of Avatar 3.

There was a claim the director had turned in a mammoth assembly cut, but that was nonsense. Speaking with Temple of Geek, Cameron clarified, “There is no nine-hour rough cut! I would put a shotgun in my mouth if I ever did a nine-hour rough cut. No, what I said was that it’s nine hours of material, meaning Avatar 3, Avatar 4, and Avatar 5. That’s 3 hours a movie. Can you imagine? He would shoot me [points at producer Jon Landau].”

To get up to speed before the new movie, see our guides to the Avatar 2 cast and character, The Way of Water ending explained, or the best way to watch Avatar 2.

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About The Author

Lawrence is a former Dexerto writer, based in New York City, who covered entertainment and games for Dexerto focusing on Hearthstone, World of Warcraft, NBA 2K, and any indie game he can review.