James Cameron Has a Backup Plan for ‘Avatar’ If ‘Hearth & Ash’ Flops

December is right here, and with it, a brand new Avatar film. These films maintain making that vacation cash, and the upcoming Fire & Ash appears to maintain that going. But when for no matter cause, it underperfomed and this was the final film within the sequence? James Cameron’s received a contingency plan.

On a latest episode of Matt Belloni’s “The Town” podcast, the filmmaker mentioned he was “completely” ready to shut the guide on the franchise if wanted, acknowledging he’s been “in Avatar land for [30] years. If that is the place it ends, cool.” He’s not open to fully handing issues over to another person—”I may produce it. I don’t suppose there’d ever be a model the place there’s one other Avatar film that I didn’t produce intently,” he talked about—but when want be, he’ll tie issues up with a guide.

Sure, actually: there’s apparently simply one open story thread on the finish of Hearth & Ash, and he’ll deliver it to the web page. However once more, that’s provided that this new film underperforms. Why is that this on his thoughts? He talked about considerations of “forces” like “sequelitis,” streaming, and covid that may maintain audiences away. Funnily sufficient, these had been additionally considerations to be raised about The Method of Water in 2022, and look how that went. To his level, although, 2025’s not been one of the best 12 months for franchise: audiences usually bounced on M3GAN 2.0 and Thunderbolts, to the purpose Blumhouse admitted it’d’ve overestimated interest in its killer cyborg.

Then once more, Wicked: For Good and Zootopia 2 each look able to make a killing on the field workplace over the subsequent few weeks, so we’ll see how Avatar: Hearth & Ash does when it lands on December 19.

Need extra io9 information? Try when to anticipate the newest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on film and TV, and every thing you might want to find out about the way forward for Doctor Who.