In addition to their breathtaking special effects, James Cameron’s films are often known for their hefty runtimes, and it seems Avatar: Fire and Ash is no different. With the third instalment of the franchise due to be released next week, we now have more details.
The film continues the journey of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), as well as their family, as they come into contact with another Na’vi tribe. This time, however, it’s a far more sinister clan.
Ahead of its release next week (19 December), it has now been confirmed that Avatar: Fire and Ash is a whopping 197 minutes – or 3 hours and 17 minutes – long. This is five minutes longer than 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water, and 35 minutes longer than the first film (via IFCO).
Though it isn’t due to be released for another week or so, the sci-fi adventure did have its world premiere in Los Angeles earlier this month, and it looks to have impressed critics thanks to its epic scale.
“James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash is a phenomenal moviegoing experience,” wrote Erik Davis of Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes. “It’s the biggest of the three – action-packed, visually jaw-dropping and rich with themes of family, legacy and survival.
20th Century Studios
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“The way it weaves fire, water, air and land into every nook and cranny of the film is kind of remarkable. This is pure blockbuster filmmaking at its finest. I love the way it brings all three films together.”
“3 films in, James Cameron still has the sauce, making the epic spectacular feel emotionally impactful,” wrote Courtney Howard of Variety. “A glorious saga. Bold, brilliant & awesome in every way.”
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Despite the film coming 16 years after the first entry in the series, a fourth and fifth movie are currently scheduled for release in 2029 and 2031, respectively. However, Cameron has admitted that he wasn’t fully certain they would be made.
“If this is where it ends, cool,” he said. “There’s one open thread, I’ll write a book. I don’t think there’d ever be a version where there’s another Avatar movie that I didn’t produce closely. But in terms of it taking over my life, that’s a threshold issue for me.”
Avatar: Fire and Ash will be released in cinemas on 19 December.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.