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Disney Seeks Cheaper, Shorter 'Avatar' 4 and 5

Talks follow 'Fire & Ash' falling short of earlier totals, with no formal greenlight.

Overview

  • Disney and 20th Century are holding talks about cost-cut and shorter runtimes for the next two Avatar films to reduce risk, according to multiple trade reports.
  • James Cameron said at the Saturn Awards that no decision has been made to move forward, signaling that the sequels remain unapproved.
  • Scripts for Avatar 4 and 5 are reported complete, and about 22% of Avatar 4 was filmed years ago to capture younger performances before a planned time jump.
  • Avatar: Fire & Ash earned about $1.486 billion worldwide, far below the first two entries, after a reported $350 million production budget and roughly $150 million in marketing.
  • Release slots for 2029 and 2031 remain tentative, and Disney is reportedly rethinking a planned Pandora expansion in California as Zootopia’s stronger returns influence park strategy.