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James Cameron says future ‘Avatar’ films must cost less, take less time to make
The filmmaker confirmed that Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 are still in development following Avatar: Fire and Ash
- PUBLISHED: Mon 18 May 2026, 2:42 PM
- By:
- ANI
Filmmaker James Cameron has shared a fresh update on the future of the blockbuster Avatar franchise, revealing that the next two planned films are still in development as he looks for ways to reduce production time and costs.
According to Deadline, the three-time Oscar winner said in a recent interview that Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 remain part of his long-term plans following Avatar: Fire and Ash.
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“After that, I’m like Roadrunner going off a cliff,” Cameron said while discussing his schedule after Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D).
“I’ll be doing some writing, I’ve got a number of projects I’m cooking. And Avatar 4 and 5 are still floating out there,” he added.
Cameron also revealed that he wants future Avatar films to become more efficient to produce, as the scale and technology behind the franchise have made the movies both time-consuming and extremely expensive.
“We’re gonna be looking at some new technologies to try and do them more efficiently, because they’re hideously expensive and take a long time,” he said.
“I want to do them in half the time for two thirds of the cost, that’s my metric,” Cameron added.
The filmmaker said developing a new production approach could take time.
“And so, it’s going to take us a year or so to figure out how to do that. And in the meantime, I’ll be writing and probably be doing a couple of other things,” he said, as quoted by Deadline.
Cameron has previously spoken about the uncertainty surrounding the continuation of the franchise beyond the currently planned films. He earlier said he would “hold a press conference” if he decided not to continue making Avatar movies.
“I don’t know if the saga goes beyond this point. I hope it does. But, you know, we prove that business case every time we go out,” he had said.
The director also expressed interest in novelising the Avatar films despite acknowledging the challenges in today’s market.
Despite there being “no business model for it anymore,” Cameron said he would still like to create novels based on the films because “it might be good to have the canonical record of what it was all supposed to be.”
The filmmaker had earlier confirmed that some scenes for Avatar 4 have already been shot. However, he reiterated that the future of additional films will depend on commercial viability.
“I always say ‘if,’ but will it be profitable enough, and only we will know that,” Cameron previously told Deadline.