James Cameron Casts Doubt on More ‘Avatar’ Movies After ‘Fire & Ash'

When 20th Century FOX committed to making four Avatar sequels, I was as confused as anyone. I had certainly enjoyed the first film and was well aware of how much it made at the box office, but doing that many sequels seemed like the epitome of putting the cart before the horse. However, when I finally saw the sequel 13 years after the first, I was as hooked as can be. Despite middling reviews, I have my ticket to see the newest film in the franchise, Avatar: Fire & Ash, on the 29th. But it may be the last one I see in a theater.

James Cameron, the man behind the franchise, recently sat down to chat with The Hollywood Reporter about his career, the films, and how he plans to move forward if this new movie isn’t a success. The idea that he would even discuss this as a possibility feels like a wild turn, not just for the franchise but for the filmmaker himself. He’s certainly discussed backup plans should the films not be box office hits, but this is James Cameron! He’s always brimming with confidence and bravado. Now? He’s just being real.

“This can be the last one,” Cameron noted after admitting that Fire & Ash likely won’t make Titanic money. “There’s only one [unanswered question] in the story. We may find that the release of Avatar 3 proves how diminished the cinematic experience is these days, or we may find it proves the case that it’s as strong as it ever was — but only for certain types of films. It’s a coin toss right now. We won’t know until the middle of January.” I didn’t need the reminder that theaters are dying, James, but I get it.

When asked what Cameron wants, he explained that he feels like he’s at a bit of a crossroads. He noted to the outlet that he’s somewhere in between needing to finish his story and wanting it to fail so he can move on to something else. “I’ve got other stories to tell, and I’ve got other stories to tell within Avatar,” he said. “What won’t happen is, I won’t go down the rabbit hole of exclusively making only Avatar for multiple years. I’m going to figure out another way that involves more collaboration. I’m not saying I’m going to step away as a director, but I’m going to pull back from being as hands-on with every tiny aspect of the process.”

Some may argue that James has already fallen down that rabbit hole, but it’s also easy to argue that that isn’t a bad thing. In a world filled with directors having to bend their styles and sensibilities to helm the newest entry in a homogenized franchise, Cameron is making movies based on something he created with relatively little pushback from his overlords. He notes in the article that folks at Disney didn’t want the new film to be over three hours, but Cameron wouldn’t budge. That rules.

At the end of the day, none of these hypotheticals may matter. According to Deadline, Avatar 3 is set to make between $340 and $380 million worldwide in its first weekend. That’s a lot of money! But, at its lowest projection, it’s almost $100 million shy of its predecessor’s opening. Could a diminishing box office keep us from seeing Avatar 5 in 2031? It’s possible, but I think Cameron’s vision will be completed. Even if it means he takes a step or two back, as he said. But Avatar 3 being the last one? I ain’t buying it.