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‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Digital Release Cast Interview
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Debuting on digital March 31st and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and DVD on May 19th, is the box office blockbuster ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, which is the third film in the popular franchise and was once again directed by Oscar winner James Cameron (‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day‘).
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The film stars Sam Worthington (‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’), Zoe Saldaña (‘Emilia Pérez’), Sigourney Weaver (‘Aliens’), Stephen Lang (‘Sisu: Road to Revenge’), Oona Chaplin (‘Game of Thrones’), Jack Champion (‘Trap House’), Giovanni Ribisi (‘Saving Private Ryan’), Edie Falco (‘The Sopranos’), and Kate Winslet (‘Titanic’).

(L to R) Oona Chaplin and Stephen Lang star in ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, which will be available on digital March 31st.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of visiting James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment offices to sit down and speak with actors Oona Chaplin and Stephen Lang about their work on ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, what it was like for Chaplin to join the franchise and her approach to her character, Lang’s experience working on the films and his character’s arc, collaborating with James Cameron on set, and why Cameron reminds Chaplin of her grandfather, Charlie Chaplin.

You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Chaplin, Lang, and producer Rae Sanchini.

Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’

Oona Chaplin as Varang in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Moviefone: To begin with, Oona, what was it like for you to join this franchise and did you understand right away how you wanted to play your character, or did you find it when you were working on set?

Oona Chaplin: Joining the franchise, I mean, it’s still kind of like, I’m pinching myself. It’s a very strange thing to feel like it was a dream I didn’t even know I had, and it came true. I remember watching ‘Avatar’ and falling in love with the world, but it felt so far away from me. So, I’m speechless to be a part of it, and to not just be a part of the franchise, but to have really felt welcomed in by a family, and to feel so much love, intimacy, connection, respect, and care for the people. So, it’s special and it’s a unique feeling. Then the second part of the question is, did I find the character right away? I think a part of me did. I kind of connected with her anger quickly. At the time I was angry about the state of the world, and I could connect with the visceral injustice of, why is this happening? But weirdly, through playing her, I learned to come to a greater place of peace within myself because I don’t want to be like Varang, especially before my first coffee in the morning, my husband can attest it. There are some striking similarities. There’s a little bit in there wanting to get out.

Quaritch (Stephen Lang) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

MF: Stephen, what has it been like for you to be part of this franchise and play this incredible character over three films?

Stephen Lang: Well, first, it validates my career choices. I would say I’m delighted that I became an actor, and it’s the kind of thing that you do dream about. I think when you talk about the arc of the character, that really is the key to me. I started in this one place, and he’s moved into completely different realms. So, much of it has been surprising to me, even though I know the story, and I’ve read it, I know where it goes. But to experience it, and to share it with my amazing colleagues that I’ve had starting with Sam (Worthington) at the beginning, and then to be gifted to be working within Oona Chaplin, has been just a great experience. So, no matter whatever happens from now on, it’s like I’m always a part of this. It’s funny, ‘Avatar’, in some aspect, enters my life every day. You know what I mean? Something happens that’s Pandora-ish to me. I meet someone who’s doing a little Varang kind of a thing on me, or whatever it is. It’s just being part of this family, it’s just always there. I mean, my life was good before but since ‘Avatar’, it’s just so enriched by the relationships that I have.

(L to R) Stephen Lang and Director James Cameron on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

MF: Stephen, can you talk about working with James Cameron on these three films and watching him execute his unique vision for this world?

SL: I mean, my respect and affection for Jim are boundless because he gave me the role. But it goes well beyond that to me. I just have an appreciation for him as a visionary guy in so many respects. To me, I’ve said this before, and I stand by it, he really is the Leonardo (da Vinci) of our age, and by that, I mean not just an artistic visionary, but an engineer, an inventor, and an explorer. The thing is, every character in this franchise is a manifestation of Jim, and a part of him. He is a guy, I believe, who runs towards danger. Why else would you go to the deepest part of the planet in a submarine that you yourself have designed? But working with him, we have a lot of fun together. We’re tough on each other, I think. But I just feel such support and mutual respect and affection.

(L to R) Director James Cameron and Oona Chaplin on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

MF: Finally, Oona, can you talk about working with James Cameron and what have you learned from watching the specific way he makes movies?

OC: It was just a master class every single day. Because this universe wouldn’t have existed without his brain, but also his heart. He cares so much about this world, about Pandora, about the people in it, and he’s so curious. He really treasures questions, and he will do everything in his power to answer the good questions. He’s got this incredible rigor, and it’s incredible to live in, because he brings the best out of everybody. I could go on for hours and hours because it is boundless, and to work with that love, that breadth of genius is very humbling and inspiring. He’s the person that reminds me the most, of my grandfather, Charlie Chaplin, because of the way that he is pushing the boundaries of cinema, technology, and storytelling.

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ will be available on digital March 31st.

What is the plot of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’?

A year after settling in with the Metkayina clan, Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldaña) family grapples with grief after Neteyam’s death. They encounter a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Mangkwan clan, also called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang (Oona Chaplin), who has allied with Jake’s enemy, Quaritch (Stephen Lang), as the conflict on Pandora escalates to devastating consequences.

Who is in the cast of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’?
- Sam Worthington as Jake Sully
- Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri
- Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch
- Oona Chaplin as Varang
- Cliff Curtis as Tonowari
- Trinity Jo-Li Bliss as Tuktirey (“Tuk”)
- Jack Champion as Miles “Spider” Socorro
- Bailey Bass as Tsireya (“Reya”)
- Kate Winslet as Ronal
- Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge
- Joel David Moore as Dr. Norm Spellman
- CCH Pounder as Mo’at
- Brendan Cowell as Captain Mick Scoresby
- Jemaine Clement as Dr. Ian Garvin
- Filip Geljo as Ao’nung
- Duane Evans, Jr. as Rotxo
- Dileep Rao as Dr. Max Patel
- Matt Gerald as Corporal Lyle Wainfleet
- David Thewlis as Peylak
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ will be available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and DVD May 19th.

List of James Cameron Movies:
- ‘Xenogenesis‘ (1978)
- ‘Piranha II: The Spawning‘ (1982)
- ‘The Terminator‘ (1984)
- ‘Aliens‘ (1986)
- ‘The Abyss‘ (1989)
- ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day‘ (1991)
- ‘True Lies‘ (1994)
- ‘Titanic‘ (1997)
- ‘Avatar‘ (2009)
- ‘Avatar: The Way of Water‘ (2022)
- ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash‘ (2025)
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April 1, 2026
‘Secrets of the Bees’ Interview: James Cameron and More
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Premiering March 31st on National Geographic, and April 1st on Disney+ and Hulu is the new documentary series ‘Secrets of the Bees’, which was executive produced by James Cameron (‘Titanic’, ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’).
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(L to R) James Cameron and Dr. Samuel Ramsey talk ‘Secrets of the Bees’.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of visiting Lightstorm Entertainment’s offices, along with other members of the press, to speak with James Cameron and Dr. Samuel Ramsey about the new docuseries ‘Secrets of the Bees’, finding the story in post-production, the special cameras utilized for the project, the science of the series, what they hope viewers learn from the show, and why nature is important to Cameron.

You can watch the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.

Related Article: Director James Cameron and Kate Winslet Talk ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’

(L to R) James Cameron and Dr. Samuel Ramsey talk ‘Secrets of the Bees’. Photo: Jami Philbrick.

Moviefone: To begin with, Mr. Cameron, can you talk about developing the show’s narrative in the post-production process and discovering the story based on the incredible footage you were able to capture?

James Cameron: It’s a recursive effect. You go in with a rough script and you go in with experienced people who have done this kind of macro photography out in the field. It’s basically a wish list or a hope list. You go and if you get the right people on the team, you’re going to get the results that you wanted, you’re going to get the kind of mind-blowing footage that you want. But when you do discover something new, then the script changes and the edit will change. So, you put it together and you rough it in according to what your game plan was, but you also must be ready to follow a lead and write new dialogue. We find that the voiceover narration and so on and the way in which it’s structured and explained is quite fluid right through to the end of postproduction. So, the story is continuing to reveal itself to us as we go along. I mean, I’d say all documentaries are like that, but certainly natural history documentaries at this kind of scale are absolutely like that. The story’s constantly revealing itself to you as you go along, just as nature is constantly revealing itself to science as you go along. It’s kind of a parallel process.

Cinematographer Owen Carter filming the broomstick bee (Osmia bicolor) sequence in ‘Secrets of Bees’. Photo credit: National Geographic/Nadege Laici.

James, can you talk about the cutting-edge camera technology you utilized to make this series?

JC: Well, our camera team is very experienced with macro photography and have been doing it for decades. The camera technology itself wasn’t really the leap forward. It was really, how do we configure the hive environment around various other environments like tunnels and things that were done with the solo bees. But how do we get into their world? So, you know, I’m not an expert in animal photography, where you’re creating an environment that, we’ve got the best people in the world to do that. But it’s about not interfering with their behavior, making it seem natural for them but still getting the camera in a manner that’s reasonably predictable, that the bee or the animal will do that behavior right in front of the lens. When you have a little tiny area of photography, you have a very shallow depth of field, and this is always the problem with macro photography. So, it’s really about the human in the loop experience team, and these days, less than breakthroughs in the optics, per se.

A scene from ‘Secrets of Bees’. Photo credit: National Geographic.

Dr. Ramsey, from a scientific point of view, can you talk about what you learned about the world of bees from this project?

Samuel Ramsey: So, the way that these kinds of things often work is that when you’re conducting science, sometimes you just don’t have the time and space to be patient. A lot of the most incredible discoveries come from patience. What Jim was just talking about, about being able to get those cameras into that space, you can’t just leave the camera there forever. The bees will cover it in propolis, and wax and you’ll never be able to see anything. You’ve got to get it in there and wait, watch, and really spend the time looking at what they’re doing and hope for the best. That can be really difficult at times in science, but it’s in these spaces where you have the resources and the team that comes along with working with National Geographic, where you can really do this incredible stuff because we’re working with people who do all of this for a living, who are the best, and the top of their field at doing this sort of stuff. So then, with the bees that were using these leaves as a way of covering up the smell from the hornets, that’s the first time that that’s ever been documented. It is incredible to watch them do something like this, and of course, all of us were blown away. We expected that they would be able to do something like that, but not specifically that because it showed that they weren’t just looking for one thing and doing something on instinct. They had the ability to think, “Well, if I can’t find this, maybe I’ll use this as an alternative and it will allow us to cover the smell so that the hornets don’t kill us.” It’s an incredible process. But what it really involves a lot of is patience, because we go there, we’re looking for something specific, but we don’t know exactly what we’re going to see. We must wait and watch and really drill down and allow for time to show us the incredible secrets of the bees.

A beekeeper holds a honey frame which has a large group of honey bees on it at the University of Colorado in ‘Secrets of Bees’. Photo credit: National Geographic/Ryan Tidman.

Dr. Ramsey, what do you hope viewers learn about bees from this series?

SR: I want people to take away from this series that bees are working hard in the background doing things that keep our entire ecosystem healthy. They don’t get enough attention and they certainly don’t get protected nearly enough. Oftentimes when we say, “Save the Bees,” we mean “Save the Bee.” We’re thinking about the one bee species that we keep inside of a box because that’s the one that’s the most precious to us and it’s the one that we know the best. But they are the canary in the coal mine for the other 20,000 species of bees out there that we don’t have as close a connection with, and we’ve been able to show in this documentary some of their secret lives that they’re living underground and inside of tubes and the kinds of ways that they’re interacting with the world. If we couldn’t show that to people, it would be easier for them to discount that those things are important. But now that we’re able to put that front and center in front of people’s eyes, we want them to take away from that that these organisms are important, that they’re incredible, and we want them to expand that phrase of “Save the Bee” back to “Save the Bees” to keep the rest of them safe, healthy, and happy.

Bumble bee passes nectar from her fore legs to hind legs in ‘Secrets of Bees’. Photo credit: National Geographic.

Mr. Cameron, what do you hope people learn from watching this series?

JC: Well, you’re opening several different areas here. So, in terms of what I think the series in general is trying to convey, and the ‘Secrets of the Bees’ is an excellent example, is a sense of wonder about the natural world, because we won’t appreciate and make space for and protect that which we don’t love and don’t care about. The way to get people to care about things is to put them into it in a way that’s accessible, that’s not scientifically off-putting. Our primary purpose is not to sound very strident warnings, but as the series has progressed, we have shifted our emphasis a little bit toward this is what is endangered, this is what we may lose. You start off with “Isn’t this amazing?” Therefore, “Isn’t this precious? Oh, and by the way, it’s at risk.” That’s the last leg of that. “What can you do personally?” We don’t get into that that much, but that’s a critical area. I think this is where, when you start the conversation, it’s important not only as documentarians but as the National Geographic in general, to have answers. I think one of the issues that we all face in a global population of eight billion people is, what can I as an individual do? I can’t influence policy, and we all think of it as a government top-down system, and it doesn’t have to be. Let me give you an example. I’m vegan, I want to say that right up front. Animal agriculture is responsible for so much deforestation and loss of habitat that impacts not only bees but all species. The way in which we do our food system with massive industrial agriculture that’s mostly monocropping is also highly deleterious to bees, so it’s not just as simple as insecticides. It’s also, the simplification of monocropping just vast fields of corn or soy or wheat versus diversified vegetables and fruits, which is really what we should be eating as the intelligent hominids on the planet. For example, as a thought experiment, if people just stopped eating meat, which you can and you’d be healthier if you did, we could re-wild more than half of the planet, more than half of the area that’s been dedicated to agriculture, could be re-wild. That would be very good for the bees and for just about every other species out there. So, we make choices as a civilization and as individuals, and those choices have consequences. I think that the way to start getting people to think of those consequences is to let them see the victims, if you will. So, if we can relate to these bees, these hardworking ladies in these hives all over the world, then we may start to make better choices.

Asian giant Hornet portait at the entrance of an Asian honeybee hive in ‘Secrets of Bees’. Photo credit: National Geographic.

Finally, Mr. Cameron, nature plays an important role in many of your films including ‘The Abyss’, ‘Titanic’, and the ‘Avatar’ franchise. Can you talk about why nature is important to you as a storyteller?

JC: I grew up living in a suburban neighborhood, but two blocks away a forest began that went for hundreds of miles. This was in Canada, so it was a rural area, and I grew up with a natural curiosity. I spent all my time out in the fields and out in the woods collecting bugs, snakes, frogs, turtles, and everything that I could get my hands on. I was reading about it and doing dissection, preservation, and drawing it all up, so I was a junior naturalist. Nobody asked me to do this, nobody told me to do it, it was just my natural curiosity. So, I know that that’s always been a driver throughout my life. Before I settled in on a career in film, I went to college to study astronomy and physics, believe it or not. So, I think curiosity is our superpower as human beings and I think science is a natural extension of that. Yes, of course we all reap the benefits in our technological world of science. But I think science in and of itself is just an amazing thing, and I have such respect for researchers and my curiosity is very broad.

‘Secrets of the Bees’ premieres on Disney+ and Hulu April 1st.

What is the plot of ‘Secrets of the Bees’?

Hosted and narrated by BAFTA and Emmy-winning National Geographic Explorer Bertie Gregory, ‘Secrets of the Bees’ uses groundbreaking filming technology to reveal the extraordinary world of bees. With the expertise of entomologist and fellow National Geographic Explorer Dr. Samuel Ramsey, the series uncovers their astonishing architecture and intelligence, unlocking their secrets and featuring never-before-filmed moments.

Who is the host of ‘Secrets of the Bees’?
- Bertie Gregory as Narrator
(L to R) James Cameron and Dr. Samuel Ramsey talk ‘Secrets of the Bees’. Photo: Jami Philbrick.

List of James Cameron Movies:
- ‘Xenogenesis‘ (1978)
- ‘Piranha II: The Spawning‘ (1982)
- ‘The Terminator‘ (1984)
- ‘Aliens‘ (1986)
- ‘The Abyss‘ (1989)
- ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day‘ (1991)
- ‘True Lies‘ (1994)
- ‘Titanic‘ (1997)
- ‘Avatar‘ (2009)
- ‘Avatar: The Way of Water‘ (2022)
- ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash‘ (2025)
Buy James Cameron Movies on Amazon
March 30, 2026
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Crosses the Billion Dollar Mark
Quaritch (Stephen Lang) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Preview:
- ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ has now crossed a billion dollars at the worldwide box office.
- James Cameron’s latest has earned $306 million domestically.
- Disney has now release three billion-dollar grossers in the past 12 months.
The changing of the seasons. The tides of the sea. Immutable.

Add to that list the power of director James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ franchise entries to earn a billion dollars, with the latest, ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, crossing that point today according to studio backers Walt Disney.
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The official figures are that ‘Fire and Ash’ has earned more than $306 million from domestic box office and $777.1 million internationally. All in all… a billion and counting. Which makes three billion-dollar worldwide titles for Disney released in 2025, as ‘Fire and Ash’ joins ‘Lilo & Stitch’ and ‘Zootopia 2’.

Related Article: Every James Cameron Directed Movie Ranked From Worst to Best

What is the plot of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’?

Varang (Oona Chaplin) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

A year after settling in with the Metkayina clan, Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldaña) family grapples with grief after Neteyam’s death. They encounter a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Mangkwan clan, also called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang (Oona Chaplin), who has allied with Jake’s enemy, Quaritch (Stephen Lang), as the conflict on Pandora escalates to devastating consequences.

How has ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ been performing?

A scene from 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

The latest entry has been praised for its visuals and its sweeping scope, though both reviewers and audiences have still been less enamored of it in general.

Still, that clearly hasn’t hurt its box office power. The bigger question is whether it can match the previous movies, which both crossed two billion. All told, the franchise has earned more than $6.35 billion to date.

James Cameron on ‘Avatar’s future

(L to R) Director James Cameron and Oona Chaplin on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

This is what Cameron recently told The Hollywood Reporter about his feelings on the future of the franchise:

“This can be the last one. There’s only one unanswered question in the story. We may find that the release of ‘Avatar 3’ proves how diminished the cinematic experience is these days, or we may find it proves the case that it’s as strong as it ever was — but only for certain types of films. It’s a coin toss right now. We won’t know until the middle of January.”

And regardless of the final performance, the filmmaker himself is feeling like he might be ready to move on:

“I feel I’m at a bit of a crossroads. Do I want it to be a wild success — which almost compels me to continue and make two more ‘Avatar’ movies? Or do I want it to fail just enough that I can justify doing something else?”

He has a variety of other projects in the works, with an adaptation of Charles Pellegrino’s book ‘Ghosts of Hiroshima’ among them. So he may also feel like stepping away completely or handing the ‘Avatar’ directing duties to someone else. As always, though, the decision rests in Cameron’s hands.

(L to R) Director James Cameron and Zoe Saldana on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

List of James Cameron Movies:
- ‘Xenogenesis‘ (1978)
- ‘Piranha II: The Spawning‘ (1982)
- ‘The Terminator‘ (1984)
- ‘Aliens‘ (1986)
- ‘The Abyss‘ (1989)
- ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day‘ (1991)
- ‘True Lies‘ (1994)
- ‘Titanic‘ (1997)
- ‘Avatar‘ (2009)
- ‘Avatar: The Way of Water‘ (2022)
- ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash‘ (2025)
Buy Tickets: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Movie Showtimes

Buy James Cameron Movies on Amazon
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January 5, 2026
Best Movies to Watch on New Year’s Day

(L to R) Maurice Compte and Gerard Butler in ‘Den of Thieves’. Photo: STXfilms.

2025 is almost over and another new year is upon us.

And there is no better way to spend New Year’s Day than by watching some movies!
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Moviefone has compiled a list of some of the most popular movies ever made, including some released just this year, for you to choose from while you are relaxing on the first day of the new year.

Let’s begin and Happy 2026!

Related Article: 35 Best Christmas Movies to Watch this Holiday Season!

30. ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie‘ (2023)

‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ will open in theaters on April 7, 2023.

While working underground to fix a water main, Brooklyn plumbers—and brothers—Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) are transported down a mysterious pipe and wander into a magical new world. But when the brothers are separated, Mario embarks on an epic quest to find Luigi.
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29. ‘The Beekeeper‘ (2024)

In ‘The Beekeeper’, one man’s (Jason Statham) brutal campaign for vengeance takes on national stakes after he is revealed to be a former operative of a powerful and clandestine organization known as “Beekeepers”.
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28. ‘Jurassic Park‘ (1993)

A wealthy entrepreneur (Richard Attenborough) secretly creates a theme park featuring living dinosaurs drawn from prehistoric DNA. Before opening day, he invites a team of experts (Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum) and his two eager grandchildren to experience the park and help calm anxious investors. However, the park is anything but amusing as the security systems go off-line and the dinosaurs escape.
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27. ‘Bullitt‘ (1968)

Senator Walter Chalmers (Robert Vaughn) is aiming to take down mob boss Pete Ross with the help of testimony from the criminal’s hothead brother Johnny, who is in protective custody in San Francisco under the watch of police lieutenant Frank Bullitt (Steve McQueen). When a pair of mob hitmen enter the scene, Bullitt follows their trail through a maze of complications and double-crosses. This thriller includes one of the most famous car chases ever filmed.
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26. ‘Avengers: Endgame‘ (2019)

After the devastating events of ‘Avengers: Infinity War,’ the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos (Josh Brolin). With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.
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25. ‘Road House‘ (2024)

Jake Gyllenhaal stars in ‘Roadhouse.’ Photo: Laura Radford © Amazon Content Services LLC.

Ex-UFC fighter Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal) takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that this paradise is not all it seems.
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24. ‘Up‘ (2009)

Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life.
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23. ‘John Wick: Chapter 4‘ (2023)

John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.
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22. ‘Aliens‘ (1986)

When Ripley’s (Sigourney Weaver) lifepod is found by a salvage crew over 50 years later, she finds that terra-formers are on the very planet they found the alien species. When the company sends a family of colonists out to investigate her story—all contact is lost with the planet and colonists. They enlist Ripley and the colonial marines to return and search for answers.
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21. ‘Inglourious Basterds‘ (2009)

In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as “The Basterds” are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds, lead by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) soon cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl (Mélanie Laurent), who runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers.
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20. ‘F1‘ (2025)

Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes in Apple Original Films’ ‘F1’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo by Scott Garfield. Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Racing legend Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) is coaxed out of retirement to lead a struggling Formula 1 team—and mentor a young hotshot driver—while chasing one more chance at glory.
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19. ‘Black Panther‘ (2018)

King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns home to the reclusive, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to serve as his country’s new leader. However, T’Challa soon finds that he is challenged for the throne by factions within his own country as well as without. Using powers reserved to Wakandan kings, T’Challa assumes the Black Panther mantle to join with ex-girlfriend Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), the queen-mother (Angela Bassett), his princess-kid sister (Letitia Wright), members of the Dora Milaje (the Wakandan ‘special forces’) and an American secret agent (Martin Freeman), to prevent Wakanda from being dragged into a world war.
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18. ‘Bridesmaids‘ (2011)

Annie’s (Kristen Wiig) life is a mess. But when she finds out her lifetime best friend is engaged, she simply must serve as Lillian’s (Maya Rudolph) maid of honor. Though lovelorn and broke, Annie bluffs her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals. With one chance to get it perfect, she’ll show Lillian and her bridesmaids just how far you’ll go for someone you love.
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17. ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day‘ (1991)

Nearly 10 years have passed since Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) was targeted for termination by a cyborg from the future. Now her son, John (Edward Furlong), the future leader of the resistance, is the target for a newer, more deadly terminator (Robert Patrick). Once again, the resistance has managed to send a protector (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back to attempt to save John and his mother Sarah.
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16. ‘Den of Thieves‘ (2018)

A gritty crime saga which follows the lives of an elite unit of the LA County Sheriff’s Dept. and the state’s most successful bank robbery crew as the outlaws plan a seemingly impossible heist on the Federal Reserve Bank.
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15. ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid‘ (1969)

(L to R) Robert Redford and Paul Newman in ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’. Photo: 20th Century-Fox.

In late 1890s Wyoming, Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) is the affable, clever and talkative leader of the outlaw Hole in the Wall Gang. His closest companion is the laconic dead-shot Sundance Kid (Robert Redford). As the west rapidly becomes civilized, the law finally catches up to Butch, Sundance and their gang. Chased doggedly by a special posse, the two decide to make their way to South America in hopes of evading their pursuers once and for all.
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14. ‘Ghostbusters‘ (1984)

After losing their academic posts at a prestigious university, a team of parapsychologists (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis) goes into business as proton-pack-toting “ghostbusters” who exterminate ghouls, hobgoblins and supernatural pests of all stripes. An ad campaign pays off when a knockout cellist (Sigourney Weaver) hires the squad to purge her swanky digs of demons that appear to be living in her refrigerator.
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13. ‘Avatar‘ (2009)

In the 22nd century, a paraplegic Marine (Sam Worthington) is dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission, but becomes torn between following orders and protecting an alien civilization.
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12. ‘Oppenheimer‘ (2023)

The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s (Cillian Murphy) role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II.
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11. ‘Any Given Sunday‘ (1999)

A star quarterback (Dennis Quaid) gets knocked out of the game and an unknown third stringer (Jamie Foxx) is called in to replace him. The unknown gives a stunning performance and forces the ageing coach (Al Pacino) to reevaluate his game plans and life. A new co-owner/president (Cameron Diaz) adds to the pressure of winning. The new owner must prove herself in a male dominated world.
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10. ‘Sinners‘ (2025)

Michael B. Jordan as Smoke and Stack in Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Sinners,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers (Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.
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9. ‘Top Gun‘ (1986)

For Lieutenant Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell (Tom Cruise) and his friend and co-pilot Nick ‘Goose’ Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards), being accepted into an elite training school for fighter pilots is a dream come true. But a tragedy, as well as personal demons, will threaten Pete’s dreams of becoming an ace pilot.
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8. ‘Batman‘ (1989)

Batman (Michael Keaton) must face his most ruthless nemesis when a deformed madman calling himself “The Joker” (Jack Nicholson) seizes control of Gotham’s criminal underworld.
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7. ‘The Empire Strikes Back‘ (1980)

The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda (Frank Oz). But Darth Vader (voice of James Earl Jones) is more determined than ever to capture Luke. Meanwhile, rebel leader Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), cocky Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew ), and droids C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) are thrown into various stages of capture, betrayal and despair.
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6. ‘Apocalypse Now‘ (1979)

At the height of the Vietnam war, Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen) is sent on a dangerous mission that, officially, “does not exist, nor will it ever exist.” His goal is to locate – and eliminate – a mysterious Green Beret Colonel named Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has been leading his personal army on illegal guerrilla missions into enemy territory.
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5. ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood‘ (2019)

Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.’ Photo: Sony Pictures.

Los Angeles, 1969. TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), a struggling actor specializing in westerns, and stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), his best friend, try to survive in a constantly changing movie industry. Dalton is the neighbor of the young and promising actress and model Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), who has just married the prestigious Polish director Roman Polanski (Rafał Zawierucha).
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4. ‘Back to the Future‘ (1985)

Eighties teenager Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is accidentally sent back in time to 1955, inadvertently disrupting his parents’ first meeting and attracting his mother’s romantic interest. Marty must repair the damage to history by rekindling his parents’ romance and, with the help of his eccentric inventor friend Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), return to 1985.
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3. ‘The Godfather‘ (1972)

In the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino) steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.
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2. ‘Barbie‘ (2023)

Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.
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1. ‘Deadpool & Wolverine‘ (2024)

(L to R) Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’. Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.

Marvel Studios‘ ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ delivers the ultimate, iconic, cinematic team-up now streaming on Disney+ and starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.
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December 31, 2025
Every James Cameron Directed Movie Ranked

(L to R) Director James Cameron and Oona Chaplin on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Almost 30 years after he first said it, James Cameron is still “The King of the World.”

Cameron is the highest grossing filmmaker in history having directed 3 of the top 4 highest grossing movies of all time including ‘Avatar‘, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water‘ and ‘Titanic‘, with each film making over $2 billion dollars each.
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But will his latest film, ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ be added to that top box office list? We’ll find out on December 19th when the film finally opens in theaters, which stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña and Oona Chaplin.

In honor of the new film, Moviefone is counting down every film James Cameron has ever directed, including his latest.

Let’s begin!

Related Article: James Cameron Says He Has Some Ideas for ‘Avatar’ Animated Spin-Offs

11. ‘Piranha II: The Spawning‘ (1982)

1982’s ‘Piranha II: The Spawning’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.

A scuba diving instructor, her biochemist boyfriend, and her police chief ex-husband try to link a series of bizarre deaths to a mutant strain of piranha fish whose lair is a sunken freighter ship off a Caribbean island resort.
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10. ‘Xenogenesis‘ (1978)

1978’s ‘Xenogenesis’.

A woman and an engineered man are sent in a gigantic sentient starship to search space for a place to start a new life cycle. Raj decides to take a look around the ship. He comes across a gigantic robotic cleaner. Combat ensues.
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9. ‘The Abyss‘ (1989)

(L to R) Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Ed Harris in ‘The Abyss’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.

A civilian oil rig crew is recruited to conduct a search and rescue effort when a nuclear submarine mysteriously sinks. One diver (Ed Harris) soon finds himself on a spectacular odyssey 25,000 feet below the ocean’s surface where he confronts a mysterious force that has the power to change the world or destroy it.
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8. ‘Avatar: The Way of Water‘ (2022)

(L to R) Jack Champion and Stephen Lang in director James Cameron’s ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’ Photo: Walt Disney Studios.

Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, learn the story of the Sully family (Jake (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
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7. ‘True Lies‘ (1994)

(L to R) Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis in ‘True Lies’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.

A fearless, globe-trotting, terrorist-battling secret agent (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has his life turned upside down when he discovers his wife (Jamie Lee Curtis) might be having an affair with a used car salesman (Bill Paxton) while terrorists smuggle nuclear war heads into the United States.
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6. ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash‘ (2025)

Varang (Oona Chaplin) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

In the wake of the devastating war against the RDA and the loss of their eldest son, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) face a new threat on Pandora: the Ash People, a violent and power-hungry Na’vi tribe led by the ruthless Varang (Oona Chaplin). Jake’s family must fight for their survival and the future of Pandora in a conflict that pushes them to their emotional and physical limits.
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5. ‘Avatar‘ (2009)

(L to R) Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña in ‘Avatar’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.

In the 22nd century, a paraplegic Marine (Sam Worthington) is dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission, but becomes torn between following orders and protecting an alien civilization.
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4. ‘The Terminator‘ (1984)

Arnold Schwarzenegger in ‘The Terminator’. Photo: Orion Pictures.

In the post-apocalyptic future, reigning tyrannical supercomputers teleport a cyborg assassin known as the “Terminator” (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whose unborn son is destined to lead insurgents against 21st century mechanical hegemony. Meanwhile, the human-resistance movement dispatches a lone warrior (Michael Biehn) to safeguard Sarah. Can he stop the virtually indestructible killing machine?
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3. ‘Titanic‘ (1997)

(L to R) Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in ‘Titanic’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

101-year-old Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) tells the story of her life aboard the Titanic, 84 years later. A young Rose (Kate Winslet) boards the ship with her mother (Frances Fisher) and fiancé (Billy Zane). Meanwhile, Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Fabrizio De Rossi (Danny Nucci) win third-class tickets aboard the ship. Rose tells the whole story from Titanic’s departure through to its death—on its first and last voyage—on April 15, 1912.
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2. ‘Aliens‘ (1986)

(L to R) Sigourney Weaver and Carrie Henn in ‘Aliens’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.

Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), the sole survivor of the Nostromo’s deadly encounter with the monstrous Alien, returns to Earth after drifting through space in hypersleep for 57 years. Although her story is initially met with skepticism, she agrees to accompany a team of Colonial Marines back to LV-426.
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1. ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day‘ (1991)

Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator in ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day.’

Ten years after the events of the original, a reprogrammed T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger)is sent back in time to protect young John Connor (Edward Furlong) from the shape-shifting T-1000. Together with his mother Sarah (Linda Hamilton), he fights to stop Skynet from triggering a nuclear apocalypse.
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December 30, 2025
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Stays Top of the Box Office
Varang (Oona Chaplin) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Preview:
- ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ won the weekend’s box office again.
- ‘Marty Supreme’ nabbed third place.
- ‘Song Sung Blue’ and ‘Anaconda’ also debuted.
As we’ve learned before with ‘Avatar’ movies, it’s not necessarily the launch, it’s the hold. A key phrase among the films’ Na’vi characters is “I see you,” and audiences certainly came out to see the third entry, ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ with the title staying top of the box office for a second weekend.

Across the Christmas holiday weekend, James Cameron’s latest took in a solid $64 million over the traditional weekend and $88 million since the Christmas holiday on Thursday.
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That three-day earning marks a 28% decline from its $89 million launch, a stronger hold than 2022’s ‘The Way of Water’ managed.

Related Article: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ is Fairly Hot at the Box Office with $88 million

How is ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ performing?

Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

As mentioned above, the third entry is holding on well. So far, it has earned more than $217.7 million domestically and shows little sign of slowing down.

Worldwide, thanks to strong business in places such as China, the movie has now crossed $760 million, indicating that it should at the very least pass the $1 billion mark. Will it push past $2 billion like its predecessors? That’s trickier to predict.

Still, while some may deride the franchise for having little cultural impact, crowds certainly turn out for it.

What else happened at the box office this weekend?

Timothée Chalamet in ‘Marty Supreme’. Photo: A24.

There was also good news for star Timothée Chalamet and director Josh Safdie, as ‘Marty Supreme’, which expanded and enjoyed the best numbers among “newcomers” in third place with $17.4 million from 2,600 theaters over the weekend and $27.1 million through the four-day holiday frame.

Domestic ticket sales stand at $28.3 million after a weekend in limited release. The three-day figure marks the second-biggest opening weekend to date for A24.

Still, second was Disney’s ‘Zootopia 2,’ which has been one of the year’s success stories. The animated sequel took in $20 million over the weekend and $25.2 million since Christmas Day. In total worldwide, it has now earned $1.42 billion.

Fourth was ‘The Housemaid’ with $15.4 million for the weekend, ahead of new arrival ‘Anaconda’ in sixth. The action comedy, which features Paul Rudd and Jack Black, made $14.6 million over the weekend and has taken $23.7 million since Christmas. The movie also opened internationally with $20 million for a global start of $43.7 million.

Also new to the charts was ‘Song Sung Blue,’ which stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson in the based-on-truth tale of Neil Diamond tribute musicians. That earned $7.6 million over the weekend in eighth place and $12 million through the four-day holiday frame.

(L to R) Kate Hudson as Claire Sardina and Hugh Jackman as Mike Sardina in director Craig Brewer’s ‘Song Sung Blue’, a Focus Features release. Credit: Sarah Shatz/Focus Features © 2025 All Rights Reserved.

List of James Cameron Movies:
- ‘Xenogenesis‘ (1978)
- ‘Piranha II: The Spawning‘ (1982)
- ‘The Terminator‘ (1984)
- ‘Aliens‘ (1986)
- ‘The Abyss‘ (1989)
- ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day‘ (1991)
- ‘True Lies‘ (1994)
- ‘Titanic‘ (1997)
- ‘Avatar‘ (2009)
- ‘Avatar: The Way of Water‘ (2022)
- ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash‘ (2025)
Buy Tickets: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Movie Showtimes

Buy James Cameron Movies on Amazon
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December 29, 2025
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Heats up the Box Office
Varang (Oona Chaplin) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Preview:
- ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ won the weekend’s box office.
- James Cameron’s latest earned $345 globally.
- Angel Studios’ David took second place.
Once again, it’s James Cameron’s world, and we’re just living in it.

The filmmaker’s latest trip to the moon of Pandora, ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ heated up the frosty box office, opening top of the charts with $88 million.

And while that figure puts it behind the launch of 2022’s predecessor ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ it’s never in the opening that ‘Avatar’ movies really perform, and this new franchise entry is likely to hang around the charts, hoovering up cash.
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The new movie also represents some hefty figures for the filmmaker in particular, representing his biggest global launch (more on that below) and the second-biggest start for a movie this year (squeezed in between fellow Disney stablemates ‘Zootopia 2’ and ‘Lilo & Stitch.’)

Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’

How did ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ do elsewhere?

Quaritch (Stephen Lang) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Overseas, the new ‘Avatar’ entry took in $257 million, leading to a global launch of $345 million. That is, as mentioned, the best international start for a Cameron movie.

According to Cameron himself, the movie needs to perform in order for him to keep making ‘Avatar’ films:

“It is one metric f**k ton of money, which means we have to make two metric f**k tons of money to make a profit. I have no doubt in my mind that this movie will make money. The question is, does it make enough money to justify doing it again?”

Now, we wait to see what sort of staying power ‘Fire and Ash’ displays…

What else happened at the box office this weekend?

‘David.’ Photo: Angel Studios.

With a big-screen Goliath dominating the chance, it seems somehow fitting that faith-based outfit Angel Studios chose to release ‘David,’ a kid-friendly story inspired by the Biblical tale of the warrior who took on the giant, and spun-off from TV series ‘Young David.’

The movie made $22 million on 3,118 screens, arriving in second place and marking the best three-day opening for Angel.

Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried’s ‘The Housemaid,’ a campy thriller, opened in third place with $19 million, while ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants’ had to make do with fourth and $16 million.

In fifth place was ‘Zootopia 2’, which is still doing great business. It added $14.5 million in its fourth weekend on release, tallying $282 million domestically to date and a massive $1.27 billion globally, making it the most successful Hollywood release of the year so far.

Finally, opening 10th, Timothée Chalamet-starrer ‘Marty Supreme’ made an impressive debut in limited release, earning $875,000. That doesn’t sound much until you remember it opened on just six screens ahead of an expansion planned for Christmas Day.

That represents $145,933 per theater — the best of the year and highest average since ‘La La Land’ in 2016, according to studio A24.

Timothée Chalamet in ‘Marty Supreme’. Photo: A24.

List of James Cameron Movies:
- ‘Xenogenesis‘ (1978)
- ‘Piranha II: The Spawning‘ (1982)
- ‘The Terminator‘ (1984)
- ‘Aliens‘ (1986)
- ‘The Abyss‘ (1989)
- ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day‘ (1991)
- ‘True Lies‘ (1994)
- ‘Titanic‘ (1997)
- ‘Avatar‘ (2009)
- ‘Avatar: The Way of Water‘ (2022)
- ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash‘ (2025)
Buy Tickets: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Movie Showtimes

Buy James Cameron Movies on Amazon
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December 22, 2025
Movie Review: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’
Oona Chaplin as Varang in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Opening in theaters on December 19th is ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, which is the highly anticipated third installment of ‘Avatar’, one of the most successful franchises of all time, and was once again directed by Oscar winner James Cameron (‘The Terminator’).
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The sequel stars Sam Worthington (‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’), Zoe Saldaña (‘Emilia Pérez’), Sigourney Weaver (‘Aliens’), Stephen Lang (‘Sisu: Road to Revenge’), Oona Chaplin (‘Game of Thrones’), Jack Champion (‘Trap House’), Giovanni Ribisi (‘Saving Private Ryan’), Edie Falco (‘The Sopranos’), and Kate Winslet (‘Titanic’).

Related Article: Director James Cameron and Kate Winslet Talk ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’

Initial Thoughts

(L to R) Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

I walked away from watching ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ having the same reaction I did to the last two ‘Avatar’ movies. I thought it was a completely entertaining and stunningly visual theatrical experience, and I will probably never watch it again. It’s a one-time theatrical experience, not unlike an amusement park ride or seeing a concert at The Sphere, it’s extremely satisfying, but only once.

The movie is meant to be seen in 3D on the biggest screen possible surrounded by an audience, and in that way, ‘Fire and Ash’ is a huge triumph, and another cinematic extravaganza from the “King of the World” James Cameron. But, with vague characters that never grow or change, a limited plot and almost no real story to tell, I fear the movie will not hold up in repeat viewings, especially on smaller home screens, with no real substance outside of the visual spectacle.

Story and Direction

(L to R) Stephen Lang and Director James Cameron on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Following the events of ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’, ‘Fire and Ash’ finds Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldaña) family dealing with the aftermath or their son Neteyam’s (Jamie Flatters) death. With their adopted son Spider’s (Jack Champion) breathing mask running out of battery, they plan to travel back to Dr. Spellman’s (Joel David Moore) base to get a new mask but are attacked by a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Mangkwan clan, also called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang (Oona Chaplin).

Meanwhile, Spider’s birthfather and Jake’s sworn enemy Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) is still in hot pursuit of Jake and his family. Soon, Quaritch makes a deal with the Mangkwan clan and teams up with Varang to wipe out Jake and his clan. Now, Jake and his family must fight Quaritch and the Mangkwan clan to save Spider, their people, and the planet from destruction.

That’s the basic plot, and let’s be honest, it’s a little thin. The visual effects and the world building that Cameron has created masks it in the first viewing, but once you take this movie out of the incredible theatrical experience, I fear the film will have nothing valuable to offer.

(L to R) Director James Cameron and Zoe Saldana on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

But it’s not just the story that is thin, there is also no real character development, and the characters are more like archetypes than real people. There are also so many characters that it’s hard to get enough time to really care about any of them. Kate Winslet’s Ronal, who was a lead in the last film is barely in this one, and even Zoe Saldaña’s Neytiri, arguably the heart of the franchise, is regulated to the background. And the two main characters of the franchise, Jake and Quaritch, now seem like characterizations of the actual characters they once played.

But at the end of the day, I guess you’re not going to an ‘Avatar’ movie for a great story or in-depth character development, you are going for the visuals and the spectacle, and in that sense, Cameron delivers a home run crafting a must-see theatrical experience. It’s kind of like eating at McDonald’s, the foods not good for you, but it tastes great going down!

Cast and Performances

(L to R) Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

With a script, story, and characters as poorly crafted as this, it seems almost unfair to criticize the actors and their performances as I’m sure they did their best, but here we go.

After three films, and almost 20 years of playing the character, you would hope for more from Sam Worthington. His Jake Sully is still the heroic leader, but we really know very little about the character at this point other than he wants to protect his family and the actor’s performance is one-note at best.

As previously mentioned, it was shocking to see how limited screen time Zoe Saldaña and Kate Winslet’s characters had, especially considering Saldaña was really the lead of the first film, and Winslet the lead of the second. Neither actress has enough to do in this installment, which is disappointing and a waste of the two Oscar winning actress’ talents.

Varang (Oona Chaplin) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

However, the one standout performance of the film is from new edition Oona Chaplin, who gives a fiery performance as Mangkwan clan leader Varang. Actor Jack Champion is also quite compelling as Spider this time around, growing into the part and surprisingly having a bigger role in the story in this new installment.

While somewhat limited, legendary actress Sigourney Weaver returns as both Dr. Grace Augustine and her Avatar’s daughter, Kiri, who was also adopted by Jake and his family. Augustine may not appear on screen for long, but Kiri is a major part of the story and Weaver is excellent playing the rebellious teenage Na’vi.

Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Giovanni Ribisi and Edie Falco also return as members of the evil RDA military and mining operations, but like many of the other excellent actors in this film, are given very little to do other than move the plot forward with exposition.

Finally, Stephen Lang still plays Colonel Miles Quaritch like a generic villain, and while he does have some great moments with both Chaplin and Champion, the character, who technically died in the first movie, hasn’t changed at all and is still playing the same note.

Final Thoughts

Quaritch (Stephen Lang) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

While the story and character development are almost nonexistent, and the dialogue at times is laughable, director James Cameron still delivers a visually stunning and completely satisfying and entertaining theatrical experience, even if it will only work in your first viewing. ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ is worth spending money to see it in a theater, but after that, you can forget about it and will probably never revisit the film again.

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ receives a score of 79 out of 100.

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ opens in theaters on December 19th.

What is the plot of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’?

A year after settling in with the Metkayina clan, Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldaña) family grapples with grief after Neteyam’s death. They encounter a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Mangkwan clan, also called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang (Oona Chaplin), who has allied with Jake’s enemy, Quaritch (Stephen Lang), as the conflict on Pandora escalates to devastating consequences.

Who is in the cast of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’?
- Sam Worthington as Jake Sully
- Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri
- Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch
- Oona Chaplin as Varang
- Cliff Curtis as Tonowari
- Trinity Jo-Li Bliss as Tuktirey (“Tuk”)
- Jack Champion as Miles “Spider” Socorro
- Bailey Bass as Tsireya (“Reya”)
- Kate Winslet as Ronal
- Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge
- Joel David Moore as Dr. Norm Spellman
- CCH Pounder as Mo’at
- Brendan Cowell as Captain Mick Scoresby
- Jemaine Clement as Dr. Ian Garvin
- Filip Geljo as Ao’nung
- Duane Evans, Jr. as Rotxo
- Dileep Rao as Dr. Max Patel
- Matt Gerald as Corporal Lyle Wainfleet
- David Thewlis as Peylak
(L to R) Director James Cameron and Oona Chaplin on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

List of James Cameron Movies:
- ‘Xenogenesis‘ (1978)
- ‘Piranha II: The Spawning‘ (1982)
- ‘The Terminator‘ (1984)
- ‘Aliens‘ (1986)
- ‘The Abyss‘ (1989)
- ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day‘ (1991)
- ‘True Lies‘ (1994)
- ‘Titanic‘ (1997)
- ‘Avatar‘ (2009)
- ‘Avatar: The Way of Water‘ (2022)
- ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash‘ (2025)
Buy Tickets: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Movie Showtimes

Buy James Cameron Movies on Amazon
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December 16, 2025
TV Review: ‘Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films’
(L to R) Stephen Lang and Director James Cameron on the set of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo by Mark Fellman. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

On Disney+ on November 7 is ‘Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films,’ a hefty promotional effort bigging up the technical (and performance) and performance achievements of the James Cameron-led team behind the sci-fi epics.
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The new documentary series features Cameron, producer Jon Landau, plus a host of crewmembers and cast including Kate Winslet (‘Titanic’), Zoe Saldaña (‘Guardians of the Galaxy’) and Sigourney Weaver (‘Aliens’).

Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’

Initial Thoughts

Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

With the third ‘Avatar’ movie, ‘Fire and Ash,’ headed our way next month, the promotional efforts on behalf of the franchise as a whole are ramping up.

And chief among them is this new behind-the-scenes documentary, which, thanks to its being commissioned by James Cameron, has full access to the production and the many talented people involved in these giant undertakings.

The big issue, of course, is that it’s almost entirely laudatory, the various cast and crew enthusing about how much technology is used in service of performance, to the point where it can become grating.

Script and Direction

Director James Cameron at D23 2024 presenting ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo: Disney.

This is your basic Disney documentary format –– lots of footage of people working out the various of shooting performance capture in and under water, development trials, many, many shots of divers, all interspersed with talking heads about the process.

It doesn’t push boundaries the way Cameron tends to when he makes movies, but then, it doesn’t really need to.

Cast and Performances

Varang (Oona Chaplin) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

As the documentary itself endlessly argues, it’s the people that make the film itself work –– the various experts in diving, stunts, cameras and more, plus the actors who were the benefit of their hard work and put their own graft in to imagining everything while acting against almost nothing.

The highlights include Kate Winslet discovering a heretofore unknown talent for holding her breath and Sigourney Weaver explaining her joy at performing certain scenes.

Final Thoughts

Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Perhaps the biggest issue here is that it’s all so basic; in stark contrast to the huge leaps in technology and the many inventions of Cameron especially. While a lot of the footage will be catnip (Na’vi-nip?) to those who love behind-the-scenes documentaries, it also gets awfully repetitive, battering home the message that the invention was in service of the actors’ work.

And given that it’s confusingly broken up into a 55-minute chunk and a roughly 30-minute one (plus a brief clip of ‘Fire and Ash’), some judicious editing could have squeezed this all down into little more than an hour. But since when does James Cameron do anything small scale?

‘Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films’ receives 68 out of 100.

A scene in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

What’s the story of ‘Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films’?

This new two-part documentary provides a fascinating glimpse into the making of the Oscar-winning box office phenomenon ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ and a first look at the upcoming ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ and features exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, concept art, and interviews with cast and filmmakers.

Who is in the cast of ‘Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films’?
- James Cameron as himself
- Zoe Saldaña as herself
- Kate Winslet as herself
- Cliff Curtis as himself
- Jon Landau as himself
Poster for documentary ‘Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films’. Photo: 20th Century Studios/Disney.

List of Movies Directed by James Cameron:
- ‘Xenogenesis‘ (1978)
- ‘Piranha II: The Spawning‘ (1982)
- ‘The Terminator’ (1984)
- ‘Aliens’ (1986)
- ‘The Abyss‘ (1988)
- ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day‘ (1991)
- ‘True Lies‘ (1994)
- ‘Titanic‘ (1997)
- ‘Avatar‘ (2009)
- ‘Avatar: The Way of Water‘ (2022)
- ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash‘ (2025)
Buy ‘Avatar’ On Amazon
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November 16, 2025
James Cameron has Ideas for an ‘Avatar’ Animated Anthology
A scene from 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Preview:
- James Cameron is considering ideas for ‘Avatar’ animated spin-offs.
- He hasn’t developed much yet but has broached the subject with Disney.
- Third movie ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ hits screens on December 19th.
When James Cameron talks –– particularly when it comes to the subject of his multi-billion-dollar ‘Avatar’ franchise –– people listen.

So when Cameron recently talked about the potential for animated spin-offs from the movies (the third one, ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ is due later this year), it’s news.
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The filmmaker admitted he wasn’t very far in development with any of the ideas, but is certainly considering different options.

Related Article: James Cameron Says He Has Ideas for Sixth and Seventh ‘Avatar’ Movies

What did James Cameron say about ‘Avatar’ animated ideas?

Director James Cameron at D23 2024 presenting ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo: Disney.

Cameron revealed to Empire that he had discussed with 20th Century Studios owners/’Avatar’ backers Disney about the potential for spin-offs:

“ ‘I said, ‘Look, I want to do an animated anthology series that’s essentially in the world, but stories that you wouldn’t have expected from that world. There might even be an animated feature in there – it might be a feature for streaming, or a theatrical feature.”

He also looked for inspiration for other animated extensions of major sci-fi franchises such as ‘The Animatrix’:

“These are all great examples for how we can add texture and baroque detail to the world of ‘Avatar’. The animated stories could deliver backstory on characters and tangential stuff that happened off-camera within the movies. Who first landed on Pandora? The first expedition. You could go anywhere you want.”

Just don’t go expecting to see it in the next couple of years (because, let’s be honest, Cameron has been busy with the movies). Still, he’s certainly coming up with plans:

“We haven’t done much with that yet. We’re still gathering our stories and that sort of thing, and I’ve got to find the boutique filmmakers, the animators, that want to do it.”

Anyone want to work with James Cameron on a spin-off of some of the most famous movies in history? We’re thinking he’ll find one or two willing candidates…

What’s the story of ‘’Avatar: Fire and Ash’?

(L to R) Lo’ak (Britain Dalton) and Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldana) family grapples with grief after Neteyam’s death, encountering a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Ash People, who are led by the fiery Varang.

The conflict on Pandora escalates and a new moral focus emerges.

When will the new ‘Avatar’ movie be in theaters?

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ will be with us on December 19th. Feliz Na’vi-dad!

Varang (Oona Chaplin) in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

List of James Cameron Movies:
- ‘Xenogenesis‘ (1978)
- ‘Piranha II: The Spawning‘ (1982)
- ‘The Terminator‘ (1984)
- ‘Aliens‘ (1986)
- ‘The Abyss‘ (1989)
- ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day‘ (1991)
- ‘True Lies‘ (1994)
- ‘Titanic‘ (1997)
- ‘Avatar‘ (2009)
- ‘Avatar: The Way of Water‘ (2022)
Buy James Cameron Movies on Amazon
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July 31, 2025