Disney has delayed the next three Avatar movies by a year, among a slew of other release postponements, which means we now won’t actually get to see the fifth and final film this decade.
Yes, it’s going to be a long old wait for the fans – although with writer-director James Cameron famed for being meticulous, plus the fact we waited 13 years between the first Avatar and last year’s Avatar: The Way of Water – perhaps this shouldn’t come as surprising news.
Avatar 3 will now be released on December 19, 2025, instead of a December 2024 drop, while Avatar 4 has been delayed until December 21, 2029,
Finally, Avatar 5 is now expected a whopping eight-and-a-half years from now, on December 19, 2031, 22 years after the first Avatar movie was released in 2009.
That is some impressive forward planning!
Avatar producer Jon Landau wrote on Twitter: ‘Each Avatar film is an exciting but epic undertaking that takes time to bring to the quality level we as filmmakers strive for and audiences have come to expect.
‘The team is hard at work and can’t wait to bring audiences back to Pandora in December 2025.’
Disney hasn’t confirmed the reasoning behind the delays.
However, according to Variety, the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike in the US has played a part in the push backs, as have production delays.
Disney has also pushed back multiple Marvel and Star Wars films, while also addng a couple of new additions to its packed slate.
A new Star Wars movie will debut on December 18th, 2026, and another will drop on December 17, 2027.
A Star Wars motion picture was expected to be released on December 19, 2025, but that has now been delayed to May 22, 2026, meaning there will be two Star Wars big screen releases within seven months in 2026.
Director Taika Waititi is known to be working on his own Star Wars film, while Daisy Ridley is also returning as Rey Skywalker in an untitled upcoming movie, where she will ‘rebuild the Jedi order’.
Disney has also added the already-announced Moana live-action film to its schedule, which will drop on June 27th, 2025, and Deadpool 3 has been brought forward to May 3, 2024, from November 8, 2024.
What’s more, Marvel movie Captain America: Brave New World is shifting from May 3, 2024, to July 26, 2024, while Thunderbolts will now drop on December 20, 2024.
Blade will be released on February 14, 2025, and Fantastic Four is expected to hit the big screen on May 2, 2025.
That is the month Avengers: The Kang Dynasty was due to be released too, but that will now be arriving on May 1, 2026 instead, in place of Avengers: Secret Wars, which will hit cinemas on May 7, 2027.
Avatar: The Way of Water is currently sitting pretty as the third highest grossing movie of all time, meaning filmmaker Cameron is clear to make all five planned movies in the franchise after saying he would wrap things up following the already-shot third instalment if he felt audiences didn’t care.
We don’t know much yet about Avatar 3, other than the revelation that it will follow a new clan of Pandora’s native species with the introduction of the Ash People, ‘representing fire’.
Cameron also said they would be the first ‘negative’ example of the Na’vi, who up until now have been represented as peaceful.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : Tom Cruise surprised The Flash director with personal phone call to praise Ezra Miller movie
MORE : Take That admit they could have stopped Robbie Williams from quitting