James Cameron to reveal ‘Avatar 4’ and ‘Avatar 5’ stories in press conference if 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' does not perform well at the box office

James Cameron has made it clear that the future of the ‘Avatar’ franchise rests heavily on the success of its third instalment - ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. While the director hopes to continue the saga through parts four and five, he has also prepared for the possibility that the journey could end sooner than the planned 2029 epic conclusion.Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Cameron revealed that he would publicly share the storylines of ‘Avatar 4’ and ‘Avatar 5’ if the franchise is forced to conclude after the third film.“I don’t know if the saga goes beyond this point. I hope it does,” Cameron said. “But, you know, we prove that business case every time we go out… If we don’t get to make 4 and 5, for whatever reason, I’ll hold a press conference and I’ll tell you what we were gonna do. How’s that?”He also explained that another option would be to turn the unused scripts into novels. “There’s so much culture and backstory and lateral detail in these characters that’s been worked out. I’d love to do something that’s at that level of granular detail.”Cameron has repeatedly stressed that financial performance remains the deciding factor. In an interview with Variety, he acknowledged the changing theatrical landscape and the risks involved.“We’re getting ahead of ourselves,” he said, adding, “we’ve got to make some money with this one. Every time we go out, we have to prove this crazy business case yet again. The world has changed.”He also pointed out that while recent releases like ‘Wicked: For Good’ and ‘Zootopia 2’ have performed well, the industry is still recovering from a rough year at the box office.However, early signs suggest that ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ may not face that fate. The film crossed USD 500 million dollars worldwide within its first week and is expected to hold strong through the new year.Both previous ‘Avatar’ films went on to surpass the USD 2 billion dollars mark globally.Some hints about the franchise’s long-term plans have already surfaced. In 2022, late producer Jon Landau told Gizmodo that ‘Avatar 5’ would take the Na’vi to Earth. “And we go to it to open people’s eyes, open Neytiri’s eyes, to what exists on Earth,” Landau said.Cameron has also left the door open on whether he will personally direct the remaining films. In a 2022 interview with Empire, he described directing the franchise as “all-consuming” and admitted he might eventually “pass the baton.” More recently, though, he sounded less certain about stepping away.“I’m healthy, I’m good to go. I’m not going to rule it out,” Cameron said. “I might not be able to do that… [but] if I can, I’ll just do it.”For now, everything hinges on ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. If it succeeds, Pandora’s story will continue on screen.‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ marks James Cameron’s third film in the ‘Avatar’ series. The film stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, who return as Jake Sully and Neytiri te Tskaha Mo'at'ite, respectively.The film introduces a new Na’vi tribe known as the Ash People, also called the Mangkwan clan, expanding the mythology of Pandora in a darker and more volatile direction. ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ released in Indian cinemas on December 19, 2025, and continues to play in theatres worldwide.