Avatar 4 is an upcoming American epic science fiction film co-written, co-edited, co-produced and directed by James Cameron. It will be the sequel to Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025), and the fourth installment in the Avatar franchise. It will star Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, among others from the original cast, reprising their roles. The screenplay is written by Cameron and Josh Friedman. The film is scheduled to be released on December 21, 2029, by 20th Century Studios and is planned to be followed by a sequel, Avatar 5, in 2031.
Cast[]
- Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, a former human who fell in love with Neytiri and befriended the Na'vi after becoming a part of the Avatar Program, eventually taking their side in their conflict with humans. He transferred his mind into his avatar permanently. After the second film, he and his family left the Omatikaya clan and joined the Metkayina clan.
- Zoe Saldana as Neytiri, Jake's wife who left the Omatikaya clan and joined the Metkayina clan.
- Sigourney Weaver as Kiri, the daughter of Dr. Grace Augustine's Na’vi avatar who was adopted by Jake and Neytiri.
- Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch, a human who led the forces of the RDA, the human organization colonizing Pandora, in their conflict with the Na'vi in 2154. Years later, the RDA placed his and deceased soldiers' memories into Na'vi Avatars called recombinants.
- Cliff Curtis as Tonowari, the leader of the reef people clan of Metkayina.
- CCH Pounder as Mo'at, the Omaticaya's spiritual leader and Neytiri's mother.
- Jack Champion as Miles "Spider" Socorro, the teenaged son of Quaritch born in Hell's Gate who was rescued and adopted by Jake and Neytiri after they had previously killed his father, who "prefers his time in the Pandoran rainforest".
- Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge, the former corporate administrator for the RDA mining operation in the first film.
- David Thewlis as an unnamed Na'vi character who will be featured in Avatar 3 through 5
- Oona Chaplin as Varang
In addition to Champion, several other child actors who appeared in previous Avatar films are expected to reprise their roles.
Production[]
Development[]
On July 31, 2017, it was announced that the New Zealand-based visual effects studio Weta Digital had commenced work on the Avatar sequels. Cameron stated that Avatar: The Tulkun Rider is being considered as a possible title for the film. In January 2023, Cameron confirmed that, with Avatar: The Way of Water being profitable, Avatar 4 and 5 will get made.
Landau reported that the action of Avatar 4 will move from Pandora to Earth. Landau said that "There's over-population and a depletion of our natural resources that make life harder. But we don't want to paint a bleak picture for where our world is going. The films are also about the idea of that we can change course."
Champion said that the "story is pretty amazing and pretty dark."
Casting[]
In August 2017, Matt Gerald had officially signed on to portray his first film's role Corporal Lyle Wainfleet in all upcoming sequels. In August 2017, in an interview with Empire, Cameron revealed that Stephen Lang would not only be returning in all four sequels as Colonel Miles Quaritch, but that he would also be the main villain in all four films.
Filming[]
Filming on all four sequels was supposed to begin simultaneously on September 25, 2017, in Manhattan Beach, California, but Cameron revealed that the filming on 4 and 5 would begin after post-production wrapped on the first two sequels. However, producer Jon Landau revealed in February 2019 that some motion capture scenes had been shot for Avatar 4, at the same time as its two predecessors. Landau later declared that a third of Avatar 4 has already been filmed for "logistical reasons". Elaborating on shooting a portion of 4 during the production of The Way of Water and 3, Cameron stated that "I had to shoot the kids out. They're allowed to age six years in the middle of the story on page 25 of movie 4. So I needed everything before then, and then everything after, we'll do later." On September 9, 2022, it was announced at the D23 Expo that principal photography had officially commenced.
Release[]
Avatar 4 is scheduled to be released on December 21, 2029, by 20th Century Studios, four years following the release of Avatar 3 in December 2025. It was previously set for release in December 2026, but was moved back due to complications surrounding the 2023 Writer's Guild of America strike.
Sequels[]
A fifth installment has been announced and is scheduled for December 19, 2031. Cameron stated in an interview with ABC News Australia that he is uncertain whether he will direct the fifth film. In 2022, Cameron revealed that he also has plans for a potential sixth and seventh film and would make them if there was demand.