Disney has tweaked its upcoming release schedule, delaying the release of Avatar 3 by a full year. This will affect the release of the following franchise films. Producer Jon Landau took the opportunity to share the first behind-the-scenes footage from the set of Avatar 3, confirming the delay, and according to him, fans should know the wait was worth it in the end.
“Avatar 3” is now the movie that fans and critics are on the lookout for, with the first two films in the series being very successful at the box office. However, Disney’s reshuffling of the release schedule means that Avatar 3 will open on December 19, 2025, rather than the originally planned December 20, 2024 date. It was previously confirmed that audiences would get three more movies after Avatar : The Way of Water, and based on the new calendar, Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 will now be released on December 21, 2029 and December 2031, respectively. Releases on the 19th. Both films have been delayed by three years, and fans will see their final chapter 22 years after the original 2009 blockbuster.
On his official Twitter account, producer Landau shared an image of the screen featuring a scene from Avatar 3. The image shows a young Na’vi, the people who inhabit Pandora, but it’s unclear who this character is. Another Na’vi stands nearby, wearing what may be an armor suit. “Each Avatar film is an exciting but epic undertaking that will take time to achieve the level of quality we as filmmakers strive for and the level that audiences expect. The team is hard at work and can’t wait to see the film in 2025.” December brings viewers back to Pandora,” Landau’s accompanying caption reads.
The plot of Avatar 3 is still under wraps. However, director James Cameron has previously revealed that the focus will shift away from lead character Jake Suli and his son Lo’ak te Suli Tsyeyk’itan, who will serve as narrators for the upcoming film. This has fans wondering what the point of the film and its sequels are. However, it does hint at the Na’vi characters fans have come to love, possibly facing off against other tribes on Pandora.
The Avatar franchise isn’t the only one being delayed during Disney’s restructuring. Several films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have also been affected, including Avengers : Kang Dynasty and Avengers : Secret Wars, the latter of which was delayed by two years. Several MCU projects have also been affected by the Writers Guild of America strike, including the long-awaited Spider-Man 4, with Tom Holland confirming their meetings are currently on hold.
Avatar 3 is set to hit theaters on December 19, 2025.