Avatar: Fire and Ash director James Cameron talks about a last minute addition in the film

James Cameron admits that he quietly folded a moment he had been saving for a later film in Avatar: Fire and Ash: Bringing the massive red flying mount Toruk, who Jake once rode, as he explores more of his chapter in the latest film.

During an interview with Variety, the director reveals how adding Toruk back into the film was a last-minute idea, calling the making of the film a "constantly evolving creative process." Speaking to the outlet, Cameron says,

"I’ve always been waiting for the question, “Why doesn’t he just go get the big red bird and kill everybody like he used to do?” Because that doesn’t exist in “The Way of Water” at all...And I went, “Oh, he’s got to go get the bird.” Come on! I was saving it for a later film. I was like, “F**k that! He should get the bird. Get the Toruk.” There’s something in Jake’s destiny that requires it, right?"

He then continued that a few more scenes were shot, bringing the film's runtime to a full three hours as he added,

"So I just re-wrote it, and we went back and we shot two or three scenes around that concept, and I threw some stuff out and stuck that in. And we’re at three hours, big surprise! But it works beautifully, and the actors were super-excited about that idea. It’s like, oh, okay, that feels right, you know?"

More details about Avatar: Fire and Ash

Expand Tweet

James Cameron and his world of Pandora show no sign of cooling down, and the next chapter, Avatar: Fire and Ash, promises both fiery fury and an emotional setup. As the third project in the franchise, the film is being produced by Lightstorm Entertainment, with 20th Century Studios distributing.

According to IMDB, the official synopsis for Avatar: Fire and Ash reads,

Jake and Neytiri's family grapple with grief after Neteyam's death, encountering a new, aggressive Na'vi tribe, the Ash People, who are led by the fiery Varang, as the conflict on Pandora escalates and a new moral focus emerges.

The story picks up a year after The Way of Water. Jake Sully, played by Sam Worthington and Neytiri, played by Zoe Saldaña, are still reeling from Neteyam’s death when they come face-to-face with the Ash People, a hardened, fiery clan led by Varang, played by Oona Chaplin. Their grief collides with old enemies: Quaritch, played by Stephen Lang, returns once again, forming an alliance that pushes Pandora toward devastating consequences.

Production has been just as epic. Shooting began back in 2017 in New Zealand, filmed simultaneously with The Way of Water, and finally wrapped in December 2020. The film was split from its predecessor due to “too many great ideas,” with Cameron promising greater character depth, new cultures, and a runtime even longer than the previous film’s three hours.