Avatar 4: James Cameron says the sequel will have a 6-year time jump with filming divided in half to account for actor ages

According to James Cameron, Avatar 3 is “right on track.” Meanwhile, Avatar 4 picks up after a six-year gap to align with character ages.

Shortly after the release of the Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora video game, James Cameron is sharing more details about Avatar 4. Before spilling the beans about the fourth film, Cameron wants fans to know Avatar 3 is “right on track” for its December 19, 2025 release in theaters.

“We did the capture on three and the live-action photography on three as an intermingled production with [Avatar: The Way of Water], and we even did part of movie four because our young characters are all going to have a big time jump in movie four,” Cameron told PEOPLE.

Meanwhile, wheels are in motion for Avatar 4, which Cameron says includes a six-year time jump (presumably after the events of Avatar 3). “We see them and then we go away for six years and we come back,” Cameron says about the 2029 release. “And so the part where we come back is the part we haven’t shot yet. So we’ll start on that after three is released.”

Cameron says the first part of Avatar 4 is already in the can, with production for the second part kicking off after Avatar 3 is released and the young actors have aged.

Cameron says production for Avatar 3 is more straightforward than the challenges of filming Avatar: The Way of Water. As you’re likely to know, Avatar: The Way of Water fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic, making production a nightmare for all involved.

Kate Winslet returns for Avatar 3 as Ronal. According to Cameron, she “went to school” to learn from “a husband and wife shaman practice.” Winslet uses this intimate knowledge in the sequel for a ritual inspired by real-life practices.

In January, Cameron said Avatar 3 will introduce a villainous tribe of Na’vi known as the Ash People. Speaking with Empire (thanks to Variety for passing it along), producer Jon Landau informed the outlet that Oona Chaplin’s character is the leader of this “aggressive, volcanic race” known as the Ash People. Her character’s name is Varang.

Are you excited about Avatar 3 coming to theaters late next year? Do you love the franchise enough to follow the Na’vi through five films? Would you watch a nine-hour director’s cut of Avatar 3? You could have the chance if Cameron gets his way.