PANDORA CALLING

Director James Cameron Teases Future of ‘Avatar’ 4 and 5

The filmmaker previously expressed doubts about directing future installments of the record-breaking franchise.

James Cameron, the director behind the Avatar franchise, is opening up about the role he’ll play in the future of Pandora. Cameron had previously said he might “pass the baton” to another director, but his perspective now appears to have changed. Speaking to Empire Tuesday, the 70-year-old director said “there’s no reason not to” direct more installments after Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third film, opens in December. “I’m healthy, I’m good to go. I’m not going to rule it out. I mean, I’ve got to make it in a vigorous way, to handle the kind of volume and energy of the work for another six or seven years. You know what I mean? I might not be able to do that… [but] if I can, I’ll just do it.” Cameron now plans to direct both Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 himself, which he previously told People in February 2024 are “fully written.” 2022’s Avatar: The Way of the Water became the third-highest grossing movie of all time after overtaking 1997’s Titanic—another Cameron blockbuster. That same year, however, he admitted, “The Avatar films themselves are kind of all-consuming,” and added that he’ll “eventually” want to “pass the baton to a director that I trust to take over.”