Entertainment

Fire and Ash’ Is Already Breaking a Major Franchise Record Ahead of Release

Published

3 weeks ago

17 November 2025

If you think Avatar: The Way of Water was long, then the next installment is going to blow you away. Avatar: Fire and Ash has a reported runtime longer than its previous installments, making it the longest film in the Avatar franchise. So, you’d better plan those toilet breaks because you’re going to be sitting on that theater chair for a while.

Avatar: Fire and Ash has a reported runtime of 3 hours and 15 minutes, which is three minutes longer than Avatar: The Way of Water. The duration gap isn’t as big as one might hope, but it’s still over three hours, regardless. At least it’s not nine hours long! When Avatar 3 was announced, there was a rumor that the director’s cut would be nine hours. That rumor was debunked during an interview with Temple of Geek, when director James Cameron clarified that there was “no nine-hour rough cut” and that number was actually the duration of material for the Avatar films 3-5.

James Cameron Has a Reason for ‘Avatar’s Long Runtime

Even though Cameron has expressed his disinterest in making a really long Avatar film, he still believes the three-hour runtime is necessary for the film to be successful. In an old interview in 2022, the filmmaker was asked how audiences should “time a bathroom break” due to Avatar: The Way of Water‘s long runtime, to which he responded: “Any time they want. They can see the scene they missed when they come to see it again.” He’s relying on people coming back to rewatch the feature to break even, and it worked: The 2022 sequel grossed over $2.3 billion at the box office, making it the third-highest-grossing film of all time, sitting between Avengers: Endgame and Titanic.

Avatar: Fire and Ash has a reported budget of $250 million, which is slightly less than its predecessor. But knowing how much money the first two movies have pulled in, Cameron is using the same strategy to replicate that success for his upcoming feature. It’s up to the audience to decide whether returning to Pandora for a third time is worth billions at the box office, or if Avatar 3 will start a downward trend for this science-fiction franchise.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is scheduled to enter theaters on December 19, 2025. In the meantime, you can stream the first two Avatar films on Disney+. Follow Collider to stay up to date with the latest updates.