The director said that he might leave the franchise after the release of "Avatar: The Seed Bearer" and finish the story in a book.
James Cameron admitted that the fate of the fourth and fifth parts of "Avatar" directly depends on the box office of the film "Avatar: The Seed Bearer", which is scheduled for release in December. If the film does not bring Disney the expected result, the director is ready to put an end to the story he has been working on for three decades.
In The Town with Matthew Belloni podcast, Cameron said that he feels serious pressure. "That’s one goddamn ton of money. So, to be in the black, you need to earn two goddamn tons."
According to the director, he is sure that the third film will collect an impressive amount, but it is unclear whether this will be enough to launch the sequel. The studio is waiting for billions in revenue, but the situation in the industry has changed: cinema attendance in 2025 is about 75% of the level of 2019. Cameron attributes this to changes in viewers' habits after the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid growth of streaming services.
If the film still fails, Cameron intends to leave without passing the franchise on to another director. In this case, he plans to complete the story in book format.
Nevertheless, the first two parts remain the highest-grossing films in history: "Avatar" grossed $2.9 billion, and "Avatar: The Way of Water" grossed $2.3 billion. Therefore, many doubt that the third film could be a financial failure.
The international premiere of "Avatar: The Seed Bearer" will take place on December 19, 2025, and the film will be released in Russian cinemas on December 25.
If the third film lives up to expectations, the release of "Avatar 4" and "Avatar 5" is scheduled for December 21, 2029 and December 19, 2031, respectively.
