So you want to know how many Avatar movies there are — and whether you've missed any. Fair question, because director James Cameron has been building the Avatar franchise for over 15 years, with more chapters still coming. As fellow sci-fi and collectibles fans, we'll walk you through every Avatar film released so far, what's next, and clear up the mix-up with a certain airbending hero.
Key Takeaways
- Three Avatar movies have been released so far: Avatar (2009), Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), and Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)
- Two more are planned — Avatar 4 in December 2029 and Avatar 5 in December 2031 — for five films total in James Cameron's saga
- The original Avatar is still the highest-grossing movie of all time at about $2.92 billion worldwide
- Looking for the animated Avatar: The Last Airbender films instead? That's a completely separate franchise — we cover both below
How Many Avatar Movies Are There?
As of 2026, three Avatar movies have been released, with two more on the way for a planned total of five. Here's the full lineup at a glance:
|
Film |
Release |
Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Avatar |
December 18, 2009 |
Released |
|
Avatar: The Way of Water |
December 16, 2022 |
Released |
|
Avatar: Fire and Ash |
December 19, 2025 |
Released |
|
Avatar 4 |
December 21, 2029 |
Upcoming |
|
Avatar 5 |
December 19, 2031 |
Upcoming |
James Cameron confirmed the scripts for all five Avatar films are finished, and he's floated ideas for a sixth and seventh if fans keep returning to Pandora.
Avatar Movie: An Overview
Avatar is a science fiction series with five planned series written by James Cameron. Its first installment was released last 2019, which became the highest-grossing film of all time.
As humans exhaust the Earth's natural resources, the Resources Development Administration (RDA) needs to find a solution to survive the global energy crisis. With this, they've discovered an energy-rich element that only exists on the moon, Pandora. With this, the Scientists managed to create Avatars, half-human, half Na'vi clones. They can freely move and operate in Pandora's poisonous atmosphere.
Want to suit up as the reluctant hero of Pandora? Our Avatar Jake Sully child costume brings the look home.
How Many Films Are There?
1. Avatar (2009)
Synopsis:
In the lush rainforest of Pandora, Jake Sully, a war veteran and former marine is a paraplegic, and his adventure as a part of the mission to colonize Pandora began after he slept for six years on a spaceship. After his twin brother Tom died, he had the privilege to replace him, considering they share the same genetics.
Jake had paraplegia for many years, and after being linked in his Avatar, he has been able to walk and run, which made him ecstatic. Together with other Avatars, Jake prepared to integrate with the Na'vi life and was torn between continuing his mission as he developed a strong bond with the tribe.
Box Office Performance:
Avatar was released on more than 14,000 screens internationally, which set it as the highest-grossing movie of all time since 2009. After The Avengers: Endgame, it became the second-highest-grossing movie in 2019; however, it managed to reclaim the Box Office title after China re-released the movie in 2021.
The first series managed to break multiple box office records around the world. Aside from the $2.85 billion gross of the movie, the film was also considered the fastest movie to gross $1 - $2.5 billion. It also set the highest gross in 3D and IMAX.
Critical & Public Response:
On a review aggregator website, the film gathered an 81% approval rating with an average rate of 7.4/10. Aside from its storytelling and plot, the technical level of the film made the film more impressive. The film has been universally acclaimed for its pure cinematic magic.
The highest-grossing film made powerful visual accomplishments, but some find the dialogues and the characters flat and obvious. Overall, the 3-D experience for two and ½ hours made the movie more convincing and vivid, as seen in the history of moving pictures.
Awards:
Avatar received massive awards from different award-giving bodies, which is never surprising. In the 2009 Academy Awards, Avatar received the Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Visual Effects, Best Achievement in Art Direction from Oscars.
In BAFTA Awards 2010, the team received the Best Production Design and Best Special Visual Effects. In addition, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA gave the film the Best DVD Special Edition, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress.
It also received the Best Director, Best Writing, Best Music, Best Production Design, Best Science Fiction Film, and Best Special Effects of USFFHF, USA Saturn Awards 2010.
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2. Avatar 2 (2022)
The Avatar: The Way of Water is all about Jake Sully and Neytiri, who build their own family and will do anything to stay together. They will be forced to leave their home and explore different regions of Pandora. The sequel will widen its universe while exploring the moons of Polyphemus and will focus on the ocean of Pandora.
The story will feature an eight-year time forward where it is intended to be a family story as the protagonist's daughter will be eight years old. As the ancient threat resurfaces, Jake will fight a brutal war against his race, the humans.
The Avatar 2 will be fully encapsulated with the other sequel, but the release date is on December 17, 2022. Previously, the sequel was set to be in 2014; however, due to different reasons, it was then set to be in 2022.
As 2022 is fastly approaching, Director James Cameron recently announced that the Avatar 2 filming had been wrapped up. The release date will most likely be followed, so let's all cross our fingers.
3. Avatar 3
The third film, Avatar: Fire and Ash, reached theaters on December 19, 2025. It introduces the Ash People, an aggressive Na'vi tribe led by the fiery Varang. As the Sully family works through grief, they clash with the Ash People across a harsher side of Pandora.
At 3 hours and 17 minutes, it's the longest Avatar movie yet. It earned about $1.49 billion worldwide — the lowest of the series, but still one of the biggest films of 2025. If you missed it on the big screen, Avatar: Fire and Ash arrived on Disney+ in 2026 for home viewing. All three released Avatar films are now streaming on Disney+, so it's easy to catch up on Pandora before the next chapter.
Read: Avatar The Last Airbender Episodes
4. Avatar 4
Avatar 4 doesn't have an official title yet. After Fire and Ash shifted the release calendar, the fourth film in the Avatar franchise is now set for December 21, 2029. Part of it has actually already been filmed — the first act was shot back-to-back with the earlier Avatar sequels — with the rest still to come. James Cameron has teased a major time jump in the story, letting the younger Na'vi cast grow up on screen between films.
Read: Is Avatar: The Last Airbender Anime or Not?
5. Avatar 5
The saga is planned to wrap with the fifth film, Avatar 5, on December 19, 2031. Producer Jon Landau revealed the finale even brings a Na'vi character to Earth for the first time. The scripts have been in development for years, so the ending is already set — we just have to wait.
Wait — Do You Mean Avatar: The Last Airbender?
Here's the twist that trips up plenty of fans. There are two completely separate "Avatar" franchises, and they have nothing to do with each other:
-
James Cameron's Avatar — the sci-fi film series set on Pandora
-
Avatar: The Last Airbender — the Nickelodeon animated saga about Aang, a young Airbender who can control all four elements
The name clash goes way back. When the live-action The Last Airbender movie arrived in 2010, Paramount dropped "Avatar" from the title on purpose, just to avoid confusion with Cameron's film.
And yes, the Avatar side has movies too:
-
The Last Airbender (2010) — the live-action adaptation
-
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender (2026) — a new animated film
Want to go deeper on the animated series? Check out our guides:
-
The best Avatar episodes to rewatch
-
Our take on whether Avatar counts as anime
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If it's Aang, Zuko, and the gang you came for, we've got you covered.
Tea and drinkware:
Water bottles:
Kitchen and dining:
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Japanese ramen dinner set
Home decor and wall art:
Blankets and plush:
Figures and collectibles:
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Aang action figure, also in a scale edition
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Zuko action figure, also in a scale edition
Accessories and extras:
Stocking up for the whole fandom? You can buy more and save more when you bundle your haul. Need more inspiration? Browse our full Avatar: The Last Airbender gift ideas.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Avatar movies are there in total?
There are three released Avatar movies in James Cameron's franchise as of 2026 — Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Avatar: Fire and Ash. Two more, Avatar 4 and Avatar 5, are planned, bringing the saga to five films in total.
Is Avatar 3 out yet?
Yes. Avatar: Fire and Ash is the third film, and it was released in theaters on December 19, 2025. It later came to Disney+ in 2026 for home streaming.
Will there be an Avatar 4 and Avatar 5?
Yes. Avatar 4 is set for December 21, 2029, and Avatar 5 for December 19, 2031. James Cameron has already finished the scripts for both films, though release dates can still shift.
Why is Avatar so popular?
Avatar wowed audiences with groundbreaking 3D visuals, Pandora's immersive world, and a sweeping story. That combination helped it become the highest-grossing film of all time and turned the Avatar franchise into one fans keep coming back to.
Time to Return to Pandora
So, how many Avatar movies are there? Three are out now, with two more coming to complete the five Avatar films James Cameron has planned across Pandora — and that's before you count the separate Avatar: The Last Airbender films. Whichever Avatar brought you here, there's plenty ahead to look forward to. Explore our Avatar toys and collectibles to bring a piece of the fandom home, or gear up with the Avatar Jake Sully child costume and step onto Pandora yourself. Shopping for more than one fan? Buy more and save more when you stock up.
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