Disney has officially released the debut trailer for James Cameron’s third installment in the Avatar franchise after footage from a private theater teaser showing was leaked online last week. The teaser had been shown exclusively ahead of screenings of Fantastic Four: First Flight.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the trailer has ignited a frenzy among fans, who are already calling it the biggest cinematic event of 2025. The footage transports audiences back to Pandora and introduces two new Na'vi clans: the Windtraders (Tlalim clan) and the fiery Ash People (Mangkwan clan).
“Fans erupted with excitement online, predicting the film will be the biggest release of the year.” — The Hollywood Reporter
Jake Sully (played by Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (played by Zoe Saldana) return to lead the Omaticaya clan in brutal clashes with the Mangkwan. A familiar threat reappears in the form of Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), now ominously adorned in red-and-black war paint, hinting at a dark alliance with Pandora's new adversaries.
The trailer also reveals a chilling new antagonist — Varang, portrayed by Una Chaplin (of Game of Thrones fame). In a gripping moment, she tells the captured Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) that “your goddess has no power here.”
Blockbuster Expectations for December 2025
The original Avatar (2009) remains the highest-grossing film of all time with $2.9 billion in global box office revenue. Its sequel, The Way of Water (2022), grossed $2.3 billion and now ranks third.
Avatar 3 is set for worldwide release on December 19, 2025, just ahead of the holiday season, and is already projected to be another box office juggernaut.
Though its final runtime remains under wraps, Cameron has hinted that the film could be “a bit longer” than The Way of Water, which ran for 3 hours and 12 minutes.
“Avatar 3 will expand the world of Pandora like never before — it’s more emotional, more political, and more intense,” — James Cameron, in a previous interview.
As fans around the world await the third chapter, Disney and Cameron are poised to once again redefine the scale and ambition of modern cinema.
