20th Century Studios has released a new trailer for “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” the third film in James Cameron‘s “Avatar” series, which is set to release on Dec. 19. The trailer shows the return of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family, this time at war with an enemy Na’vi tribe on Pandora.
Alongside Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Bailey Bass, Britain Dalton, Trinity Bliss, Jack Champion and Edie Falco are among the returning cast members. Meanwhile, Michelle Yeoh, Oona Chaplin and David Thewlis will make their debut in the series as new characters.
The first “Avatar” released in 2009 and became the highest grossing film of all time at the worldwide box office. It still holds that record, with a lifetime gross of over $2.9 billion. It’s sequel, “Avatar: The Way of the Water,” came out over a decade later in 2022 and grossed $2.3 billion at the box office, surpassing Cameron’s own “Titanic” as the third highest grossing film of all time. The two “Avatar” titles’ performances are only split by “Avengers: Endgame,” which grossed $2.7 billion in 2019.
Documentaries aside, the “Avatar” movies have been Cameron’s only directorial features of the 21st century. Cameron began developing “Avatar” in the 1990s, but it took over a decade for technology to catch up with the concept. The films’ special effects are handled by Weta Workshop and showcase pioneering filmmaking technology in motion capture and CGI.
A fourth “Avatar” movie is already expected to release in 2029, and a fifth in 2031.
Watch the trailer below.