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James Cameron is back in the director’s chair for the third film in his epic Avatar saga, titled Avatar: Fire and Ash. As the cast and crew gear up for its big release, the legendary filmmaker has been opening up about why he has devoted so much of his career to this one franchise.
In a recent chat with Rolling Stone, Cameron explained that making movies was never just about chasing box office numbers or building his fortune. For him, it has always been about trying to make a positive impact. He sees storytelling—and especially Avatar—as a way to inspire people and get them thinking about bigger issues, like our connection with nature and the environment.
This isn’t the first time he’s hinted at how much of his future is tied to Avatar. In a previous interview with Empire, Cameron confirmed that he already has plans lined up for a fourth and even a fifth installment once Fire and Ash makes its way to audiences.
Why Cameron sticks to Avatar
Cameron has admitted that, for the last two decades, he has been at peace with focusing almost entirely on Avatar. It’s not about the billions the films have raked in, he said—it’s about the message they carry. In his words, Avatar is his way of reminding people about the parts of themselves that value and respect nature, something he believes we’ve been drifting away from in our modern lives.
At the same time, he acknowledges that movies alone can’t “fix” humanity’s problems. But, he explained, films can still make a difference in subtle ways. According to him, Avatar works like a “Trojan horse”: you walk in expecting thrilling visuals and blockbuster entertainment, but once you’re inside, the story quietly gets into your heart and mind, leaving you with something deeper to reflect on.
Cameron’s career beyond Pandora
Of course, Cameron isn’t only known for Avatar. Before diving into the world of the Na’vi, he directed one of the biggest movies of all time—Titanic, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. That film swept the Oscars, taking home 11 Academy Awards, and cemented Cameron’s status as one of Hollywood’s most ambitious storytellers.
And he isn’t stopping at Avatar either. Just recently, Cameron announced his next big project: Ghosts of Hiroshima. Based on Charles Pellegrino’s novel, the film will explore the devastating nuclear attack on Hiroshima and its aftermath. It promises to be an emotional and heavy-hitting story, very different in tone from Avatar.
On top of that, Cameron is also developing an adaptation of The Devils, a fantasy novel by Joe Abercrombie. While details about that project are still under wraps, fans can expect more news to surface soon.