Avatar: Fire And Ash's Rumored Runtime Would Break A Franchise Record

Spending the holidays on Pandora — and hopefully with more Payakan — can't happen soon enough. Everything we've seen so far about "Avatar: Fire and Ash," the highly anticipated third entry in James Cameron's mega sci-fi blockbuster film series, looks like an insanely cool progression of where we last left off. 2022's "The Way of Water" saw Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) land yet another win against the villainous RDA corporation, although at the cost of losing their oldest son Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) in battle. By the end of the film, everyone has splintered off into different factions. The Na'vi-resurrected Col. Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) flies away on his Ikran after being reluctantly saved by his son Spider (Jack Champion), while the Sullys are fully inducted into the water-based Metkayina Clan. There's a storm coming of possible betrayals and newfound allegiances, especially as Varang (Oona Chaplin) of the fire-based Mangkwan Clan appears to be stirring up trouble.

It's one thing for the "Avatar" movies to look and feel big, but "Fire and Ash" is also tasked with furthering all of these major story threads without feeling like it's juggling too many things at once. The third film's subtitle indicates that things are going to get real dark before — or if — they get better. But if anyone can pull this off, it's a cinematic madman like Cameron, who's gonna use every second he has. In the case of "Fire and Ash," the rumored runtime gives the indication that Big Jim is only going even bigger this time, if only by a few extra minutes.

While not yet confirmed by 20th Century Studios, the websites for IMAX, Cineplex and AMC Theaters all have "Fire and Ash" listed with a runtime of 3 hours and 15 minutes. This would make it the longest film in the "Avatar" series by three minutes since "The Way of Water" clocked in at 3 hours and 12 minutes. In that instance, I would personally love a pre-movie intro where Cameron gives the audience a spirited Bone Saw-style declaration. As for the runtime itself, it shows a pattern of every "Avatar" movie getting longer.

2009's "Avatar" clocked in 2 hours and 42 minutes, but in typical Cameron fashion, he pulled a "but wait, there's more" with every subsequent re-release. The Special Edition added more footage to round it out to 2 hours and 51 minutes. When it came time to release the Academy Award-winning sci-fi adventure on home media, it included an extended cut of 2 hours and 58 minutes, complete with an entire prologue of Jake on Earth before being recruited by the RDA to take his brother's place. 

Making extended cuts and longer sequels to his movies is practically a Cameron tradition since the first "Terminator" was 1 hour and 48 minutes, while "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" was nearly a half hour longer at 2 hours and 17 minutes. And to say nothing about the Special Edition of both "T2" and "Aliens." When it comes to "Avatar" though, Cameron has poured so much time, sweat, stress and money into making these movies, it makes sense that he would get as much of it on the screen as he possibly could.

"Avatar: Fire and Ash" is set to hit theaters on December 19, 2025.