While James Cameron’s Avatar franchise has certainly played an important part in getting audiences back into movie theaters, thanks to its great visuals and epic storytelling, the films’ lengthy runtimes have proven to be a sticking point for moviegoers. Committing to a 3-hour runtime is a huge ask in 2026. And while Avatar: Fire and Ash pulled in close to $1.5 billion at the box office, you have to wonder if the film could have done better if it were shorter.
In our review of the film, Sergio Pereira called it “a grueling test of everybody’s bladder”. And he’s not alone. Plenty of filmgoers feel that the films have become too long, and would prefer to enjoy Avatar in the comfort of their home during their free time. And Disney has taken note of this critisism it seems. A new report suggests that the studio is hoping to lower Avatar 4‘s budget and rein in the duration.
No, Disney isn’t just popping champagne bottles after Fire and Ash‘s success. Instead, they’re reevaluating the entire franchise. According to The Wrap, their new plan is simple: trim down the length of the films and spend a lot less.
And while that might make die-hard fans grab their pitchforks in protest, it might be what Cameron has in mind for the next phase of the franchise, too. He’s often spoken about how time-consuming the production of the films has become and even suggested that he could find ways for AI to assist him in making the Avatar films faster and cheaper. Well, Disney is on the same page.
Of course, that new shift comes while producer Rae Sanchini insists things are still moving full speed ahead with the sequels. “Right now we’re figuring out the schedule. We’re working hard on it right now, budgeting, scheduling, planning, building out our new pipeline for them. As far as we’re concerned, we’re full speed ahead.”
That’s full speed ahead… with a calculator and a diary in hand. The previous films cost over $400 million each. That’s a lot.
And even though Avatar: Fire and Ash was far from a flop, it didn’t hit the same $2 billion mark set by the first two films. And I’m guessing that the film’s duration had a lot to do with that. Watching in 3D, for example, would be a lot of strain on your eyes. And it’s not the kind of bumpy ride anyone could enjoy in 4DX for that long. Nobody loves a 3-hour rollercoaster.
So, making the films shorter would definitely accommodate a bigger crowd.
But the other question people are asking right now is whether or not we actually need an Avatar 4. After the first three films made $6.7 billion in total at the box office, do we really need more? Most franchises would retire on that. How much more story is there to tell?
Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 are currently set for 2029 and 2031 release dates, although that’s not written in stone. The good news is that about 22% of Avatar 4 is already done. It was filmed during Fire and Ash.
According to reports, James Cameron is now seeing Avatar: Fire and Ash‘s failure to reach $2 billion as a challenge. He is now driven to complete the next two and end the franchise on a new high.
And that probably means shorter trips to Pandora.
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