Avatar is one of the most popular franchises of all time, and to be honest, it is one of the most gorgeous films I have watched to date. The breathtaking 3D technology and the fantastic world of Pandora are what make the franchise stand out in the crowd. The films of the franchise never get out of fashion, and there’s always someone who would want to watch the movies every now and then. So, this article talks about the correct watch order of the Avatar films for such viewers.
How Many Avatar Movies Are There?
The Avatar franchise has blessed the industry with two incredible movies at the time of writing this article. However, the franchise is all set to get the third movie this year. Following that, two more untitled movies will be released in 2029 and 2031 respectively. Moreover, James Cameron has revealed that the profitability of the fourth and fifth films will determine the future of the franchise.
Avatar Movies in Chronological & Release Date Order
There are several film franchises out there that flaunt a complex watch order; for instance, the prequel series gets released after the sequel ones. That’s the reason why fans always look for the correct watch orders of such properties. However, in the case of Avatar, you don’t have to hassle as it features a straightforward order.
- Avatar (2009)
- Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
- Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)
- Avatar 4 (2029)
- Avatar 5 (2031)
1. Avatar (2009)
- Release Date: December 18, 2009
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 7.9/80%
- Director: James Cameron
- Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Sigourney Weaver
I won’t say Avatar has the best story, but yes, it has the best visuals, which certainly make it worth watching. Coming from someone who has blessed the industry with projects like Titanic and The Abyss, Avatar never fails to blow my mind, even after so many years of its release. That’s how gorgeous the movie is.
After his brother is murdered in a robbery, Jake Sully steps forward to replace him for a greater cause. The mission is to protect the Na’avi race, which resides on the moon planet of Pandora. During the mission, he also learns about the evil plans of Parker Selfridge, RDA’s head administrator. Jake Sully must protect the race, and the only way to do so is to adopt the ‘Avatar’ identity.
2. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
- Release Date: December 16, 2022
- IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes: 7.5/76%
- Director: James Cameron
- Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet
The first Avatar film saw a massive success at the box office. In fact, it is one of the highest-grossing films of all time. So, it makes sense why James Cameron decided to make multiple sequel projects of Avatar. Following several delays, the second Avatar film was released in 2022, and again, it captured the soul and eyes of every viewer. Hence, it’s no wonder the film grossed $2.320 billion against a budget of $350–460 million.
Avatar: The Way of Water sees Jake Sully living peacefully with his loving wife Neytiri and their children on Pandora until a new threat arises. Alongside his wife, Sully must form an army and fight against the wrongdoers to protect his family and every Na’avi.
Upcoming Avatar Movies
Apart from the already two released movies, there are three Avatar movies that have been announced already. Here are all the upcoming Avatar movies.
Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)
- Release Date: December 19, 2025
- Director: James Cameron
- Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Giovanni Ribisi, David Thewlis, Oona Chaplin
James Cameron announced Avatar: Fire and Ash following the success of the first film. The director initially planned to release the sequels in 2014 and 2015, respectively. However, changes in the details, production style, technologies, and writing kept delaying the project. So, like the second film, Fire and Ash witnessed countless delays.
As per the reports, the upcoming sci-fi film will follow The Way of Water and will feature a darker and more complex storyline. Cameron also hinted that the 2025 film will focus more on Lo’ak, the fourteen-year-old son of Jake Sully. Miles Socorro, aka. Spider will be seen in a crucial role in Fire and Ash. While many characters from the previous films will return, we will also meet some of the new ones. The film will also see the rise of a new clan called Mangkwan, residing in Ash Village.
Avatar 4
- Release Date: December 21, 2029
- Director: James Cameron
- Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Giovanni Ribisi, David Thewlis, Oona Chaplin
While it’s too early to expect any massive news about Avatar 4, we are acquainted with the fact that some scenes of the film were filmed simultaneously with the filming of the second and third films. During an interview, the director also teased that the fourth film would take place four years after the events of the third film.
Avatar 5
- Release Date: December 19, 2031
- Director: James Cameron
- Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Giovanni Ribisi, David Thewlis, Oona Chaplin
Avatar 5 was unveiled in 2016, and we also learned that the film will finally be set on Earth. James Cameron hinted that Jake and Neyitri would survive until the fifth film. In fact, this time, they must tackle the climatic change on Earth while fighting their enemies.
