The trailer for James Cameron’s highly anticipated threequel Avatar: Fire and Ash has early viewers hailing it as ‘the biggest movie of 2025’, ‘breathtaking’ and visually ‘phenomenal’.
Avatar 3 isn’t scheduled to arrive in cinemas until December, but the filmmaker is ready to create some early buzz for the next instalment in his epic big-budget sci-fi franchise.
‘As stunning as anyone is anticipating,’ tweeted film critic Austin Burke, who also noted that ‘the visuals are (somehow) on another level’.
‘There is no doubt in my mind that this WILL be the biggest movie of 2025, and epic doesn’t feel like it does this trailer justice…’
Meanwhile, @TheOscarRace simply announced, ‘It’s going to be the best film of the year’, while ScreenRant’s @LiamTCrowley admitted he was ‘breathless’.
‘What a privilege it is to be alive during this revolutionary franchise,’ he added.
‘It looks so damn good. Even more fantastical world building on display. The Ash People look menacing and have intriguing environmental designs,’ shared Rendy Jones, adding: ‘The story feels grander and more intense than Way of Water.’
Shot back-to-back with 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water, Fire and Ash sees the return of a sprawling cast including Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, Stephen Lang, Jack Champion, Bailey Bass and Britain Dalton, plus new additions Oona Chaplin, Michelle Yeoh and David Thewlis.
Secretly screened exclusively for journalists and tastemakers by Disney earlier this week, the first look at Avatar: Fire and Ash will be released online on Monday July 28 – or available to watch ahead of Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps when it hits cinemas on Friday.
‘A visually astounding promise of another thrilling return to Pandora. Breathtaking cinematography, powerful action, and a euphoric musical score,’ praised Jonathan Sim. ‘3D has never looked this good.’
‘With the #AvatarFireAndAsh trailer, James Cameron pushes the potential of 3D beyond the realms of what we’ve seen before, even from him and teases a beautifully vibrant, action-packed and illustrious visual odyssey in the Avatar saga,’ enthused @TomMCJL.
‘Nobody is touching Cameron visually. The next Avatar looks amazing,’ posted Kit Stone.
Others had exciting comparisons for the film on the strength of the first trailer alone.
‘It’s insane we’re getting Last of the Mohicans meets like Empire Strikes Back!’ suggested @MOVIEDEATHS. ‘Giant action set pieces somehow the visuals look even better than Way of Water [sic].’
Avatar: Fire And Ash sees Jake (Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Saldaña) family grappling with grief in the wake of the death of son Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) as conflict between the RDA and the Pandorans escalates after the Na’vi and Metikayina clan’s hard-won victory at the end of Avatar: The Way of Water.
The newly-introduced Ash People also promise to bring more conflict, thanks to their aggressive and fiery leader Varang (Chaplin); Cameron first teased them in January 2023, saying that he was featuring ‘different cultures from those I have already shown’ and that he plans ‘to show the Na’vi from another angle because, so far, I have only shown their good sides’.
‘In the early films, there are very negative human examples and very positive Na’vi examples. In Avatar 3 we will do the opposite. We will also explore new worlds, while continuing the story of the main characters,’ he explained to French publication 20 Minutes, via Total Film:
‘I can say that the last parts will be the best. The others were an introduction, a way to set the table before serving the meal.’
Chaplin’s Varang is a scene-stealer in the trailer, suggesting an intimidating appearance, before she is shown warning Weaver’s Kiri in menacing tones: ‘Your goddess has no dominion here.’
Thanks to the success of Avatar: The Way of Water, which is currently the third highest grossing film ever behind the first Avatar – having made over $2.3million at the box office – we will also get Avatar 4 and 5.
But not until December 2029 and December 2031, respectively.
Avatar: Fire and Ash releases in cinemas on December 19, 2025.
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