Avatar Fire and Ash 3D (2025) in cinemas December 2025

[ryanmcv]

Avatar: Fire and Ash is set for theatrical release on December 19, 2025. The movie was filmed with Sony Venice cameras on stereoscopic 3D rigs.

Avatar: Fire and Ash | Official Trailer - YouTube

[Emoto]

AAAAaaaaaand... let the speculation about the release of a physical disc begin! ;-)

[levcore]

Can't wait to go back to Pandora, I love these movies. Looking forward to more stunning 3D in HFR. No one does action quite like James Cameron.

[BluBonnet]

Do we know for a fact this will be in HFR?

[noirjunkie]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

Do we know for a fact this will be in HFR?

I hope not. The second one looked like one long video game cutscene.

[BluBonnet]

Funny, I'm definitely not an Avatar fan by any stretch of the imagination, but Avatar 2 was the first time I've ever watched anything in HFR at the theater and actually enjoyed it

Besides, they already have the projectors

[sevenlilies1937]

Originally Posted by noirjunkie

I hope not. The second one looked like one long video game cutscene.

good thing it was not HFR in all scenes, and on home release you can watch 24 all the way through

Excited for this one, curious to see if he will have a new 3D innovation this time around!

[Telegram Sam]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

Do we know for a fact this will be in HFR?

Originally Posted by noirjunkie

I hope not. The second one looked like one long video game cutscene.

Originally Posted by sevenlilies1937

good thing it was not HFR in all scenes, and on home release you can watch 24 all the way through

Originally Posted by panman40

Already looking forward to a home 3D Blu Ray release without HFR.

That makes at least four of us! A wave of HFR films failed to materialise over a decade ago after the Hobbit foisted HFR's vulgar banalisation of film on us. And I've been delighted and relieved to see that, so far, it's failed to materialise again after Cameron delivered an even worse version of it.

(I know, some people love HFR, and that's great. But some of us hate it. And I could say this until I'm as blue in the face as a Na'vi and some people still wouldn't believe me - but it's not because we're "Just not used to it"!)

[BLMN]

Originally Posted by Telegram Sam

That makes at least four of us! A wave of HFR films failed to materialise over a decade ago after the Hobbit foisted HFR's vulgar banalisation of film on us. And I've been delighted and relieved to see that, so far, it's failed to materialise again after Cameron delivered an even worse version of it.

(I know, some people love HFR, and that's great. But some of us hate it. And I could say this until I'm as blue in the face as a Na'vi and some people still wouldn't believe me - but it's not because we're "Just not used to it"!)

You should add an IMO there bud, that is definitely not a fact.

[Just_Discovered_3D]

I too would have preferred HFR for the whole film, and I'd still like to see mixed framerate in the same scene for HFR. Though I'm still not sure too many people noticed the framerate shifts. I don't doubt that people on this forum did, however my experience has been that the only time Joe Public notices even the smoothest of Soap Opera Effect is when there is a close up of a speaker's mouth, as subconsciously we all can tell that the lips don't quite match the audio. But without the audio...

Since I've only noticed 3D motion strobing in 2 films, and one of them was a film with Cameron's name on it, I am leery of him not using HFR in Avatar since he said HFR was there to stop the strobing.

[panman40]

Already looking forward to a home 3D Blu Ray release without HFR.

[Zivouhr]

I enjoy 24 fps for movies, but can also learn to accept the real-lifelike speed of motions of 48 fps cinema too. But one thing I found really distracting was mixing at times every other shot, 24 fps to 48 fps to 24 fps to 48 fps back to 24 fps and then again to 48 fps and..... Visually, it was distracting as if something was wrong with the projector. If Cameron's goal is to make it more immersive, nothing in human sight goes back and forth like that with the eyes' "frame rate" in real life.

If Cameron loves 48 fps, just play the whole movie in 48 fps and then give viewers the normal choice of 24 fps for those who prefer that. But mixing the two rapidly, not a fan. Keep it one format per presentation IMO. Give us a choice too.

But yes, the strong 3D in Avatar 2 was really nicely done, and did improve over the original in that sense.

Originally Posted by panman40

Already looking forward to a home 3D Blu Ray release without HFR.

A blu ray 3D would be awesome for this potential 2026 blu ray 3D release of Avatar Fire and Ash 3D. Agreed.

[SLYDoggie]

Originally Posted by Zivouhr

I enjoy 24 fps for movies, but can also learn to accept the real-lifelike speed of motions of 48 fps cinema too. But one thing I found really distracting was mixing at times every other shot, 24 fps to 48 fps to 24 fps to 48 fps back to 24 fps and then again to 48 fps and..... Visually, it was distracting as if something was wrong with the projector. If Cameron's goal is to make it more immersive, nothing in human sight goes back and forth like that with the eyes' "frame rate" in real life.

If Cameron loves 48 fps, just play the whole movie in 48 fps and then give viewers the normal choice of 24 fps for those who prefer that. But mixing the two rapidly, not a fan. Keep it one format per presentation IMO. Give us a choice too.

But yes, the strong 3D in Avatar 2 was really nicely done, and did improve over the original in that sense.



A blu ray 3D would be awesome for this potential 2026 blu ray 3D release of Avatar Fire and Ash 3D. Agreed.

In reality the entire movie was shot in 48 FPS. In the parts where the high frame rate wasn't needed, each frame was duplicated. I guess the effect is the same but the frame rate itself really isn't changing.

At least this is what I remember reading when the WOW movie came out.

[Zivouhr]

Originally Posted by SLYDoggie

In reality the entire movie was shot in 48 FPS. In the parts where the high frame rate wasn't needed, each frame was duplicated. I guess the effect is the same but the frame rate itself really isn't changing.

At least this is what I remember reading when the WOW movie came out.

Thanks. I do remember hearing about that, but you're right that the effect is 24 fps. Cameron's reasoning was that he felt 24 fps is more cinematic for when they're talking, while for action, he wanted 48 fps. But he didn't stick to that and started mixing 24 fps in with the action, for when they're talking in the midst of an action scene. I hope he commits to 48 fps all the way this time. No switching it back and forth. And also a 24 fps choice.

My theater, Cinemark, only had 48 fps 3D showtimes, but I'm glad I got to see how he pulled it off. I thought The Hobbit 1 3D HFR 48 fps was much smoother for High frame rate as it was purely 48 fps. No 24 fps mixed in thankfully. Gemini Man HFR 3D too looked good also in 3D theaters 48 fps. Again, no switching to 24 to 48.

[Telegram Sam]

Originally Posted by Zivouhr

I enjoy 24 fps for movies, but can also learn to accept the real-lifelike speed of motions of 48 fps cinema too. But one thing I found really distracting was mixing at times every other shot, 24 fps to 48 fps to 24 fps to 48 fps back to 24 fps and then again to 48 fps and..... Visually, it was distracting as if something was wrong with the projector. If Cameron's goal is to make it more immersive, nothing in human sight goes back and forth like that with the eyes' "frame rate" in real life.

If Cameron loves 48 fps, just play the whole movie in 48 fps and then give viewers the normal choice of 24 fps for those who prefer that. But mixing the two rapidly, not a fan. Keep it one format per presentation IMO. Give us a choice too.

But yes, the strong 3D in Avatar 2 was really nicely done, and did improve over the original in that sense.

This is the problem. I don’t think Cameron does love HFR. Rather, I think he sees it as something of a necessary evil when it comes to displaying faster motion in 3D.

If he really loved it then it doesn’t make any sense to me that the entire film wasn’t at 48 fps. There can be no logical argument that some shots were kept at 24 fps because they “didn’t need” HFR since, as you say, all those shots achieved was the dreadful distraction of the switch that you (and most of here) experienced. The best explanation – if he truly loves it – is that render costs were lower for the 24 fps CGI, but I don’t think that was the reason.

Originally Posted by Zivouhr

Cameron's reasoning was that he felt 24 fps is more cinematic for when they're talking, while for action, he wanted 48 fps.

Exactly this: He doesn't think 48 fps looks cinematic. And I wholeheartedly agree with him!

Personally, I score Variable Frame Rate at zero out of ten for being a successful experiment (and High Frame Rate itself at about negative one hundred out of ten…). It’s going to be really interesting to see where he goes with Fire and Ash. I assume that he’s shot it at 48 fps again, but will he dial HFR’s use up or down..? (I fully appreciate that there's a significant number of film fans who feel the same way about 3D as I do about HFR!)

Cameron’s come in for a huge amount of flak recently for the destructive work done on the 4K releases of several of his films - apparently with his full approval. What with this and his use of HFR, I hope the later stage of this legendary film-maker’s career doesn’t become most remembered for controversial reasons.

[Zivouhr]

Originally Posted by Telegram Sam

This is the problem. I don’t think Cameron does love HFR. Rather, I think he sees it as something of a necessary evil when it comes to displaying faster motion in 3D.

If he really loved it then it doesn’t make any sense to me that the entire film wasn’t at 48 fps. There can be no logical argument that some shots were kept at 24 fps because they “didn’t need” HFR since, as you say, all those shots achieved was the dreadful distraction of the switch that you (and most of here) experienced. The best explanation – if he truly loves it – is that render costs were lower for the 24 fps CGI, but I don’t think that was the reason.



Exactly this: He doesn't think 48 fps looks cinematic. And I wholeheartedly agree with him!

Personally, I score Variable Frame Rate at zero out of ten for being a successful experiment (and High Frame Rate itself at about negative one hundred out of ten…). It’s going to be really interesting to see where he goes with Fire and Ash. I assume that he’s shot it at 48 fps again, but will he dial HFR’s use up or down..? (I fully appreciate that there's a significant number of film fans who feel the same way about 3D as I do about HFR!)

Cameron’s come in for a huge amount of flak recently for the destructive work done on the 4K releases of several of his films - apparently with his full approval. What with this and his use of HFR, I hope the later stage of this legendary film-maker’s career doesn’t become most remembered for controversial reasons.

Thanks Sam. Interesting points.
If I have a choice, I feel better about it when going to the theater, although I did see Hobbit 1 3D and Gemini Man 3D in 48 fps and thought those fared better than switching back and forth as in the amazing, mostly strong 3D of Avatar 2.

We'll see if he makes the same choices again with Ash and Fire part 3 Avatar.

I'm really happy about what Avatar helped inspire, which was a 10+ year home blu ray 3D run that we may have not gotten otherwise had it not been for Avatar 1 3D in theaters. 3DTVs and Blu Ray 3D were pretty much born to mainstream in 2010 thanks to Avatar 3D 1's massive success. What an awesome time to be a 3D fan all those years and thankfully still now as prices drop on blu ray 3D movies still available to purchase that may have not been of interest at launch on 3D disc.

I was watching TNT, which was playing Godzilla vs Kong on TV, and they had it sped up to what looked like slightly fast forward to smooth out the motions, so instead of heavy weight to Godzilla and Kong, it seemed like they shrunk down to human size and were fighting quickly in a Neon City playground, totally taking away any sense of heavy weight. Whoever is making that decision at TNT channel to speed up the "interpolation" or what it may be called, is affecting the sense of timing of the motions negatively. Not good, so that's why it's really important to have these films on disc in 24 fps as they may have been originally presented. Compared to a streaming site digital only where they can mess with it for a "smoother" look.

I was hoping for some information on Avatar 2's Blu ray 3D on who may have pushed for the blu ray 3D release in 2023, years after 3DTVs stopped being manufactured in 2017. A great move and I hope it happens again for Avatar 3 3D on blu ray 3D by 2026.

[LexInHD]

Regarding HFR, it was only just before the COVID pandemic started that the projector hardware upgrade cycle brought that to cinemas, alongside Gemini Man. Before that time, it was just an extra feature that wasn't installed in the majority of digital projector/media block setups from the early 2010's, which is why so many showings of Avatar 2 in HFR were available, as the hardware had been upgraded since the release of The Hobbitses. Before they bailed on the cinema industry, Sony had it on all their upgraded and new units and Barco and Christie both adopted it in their newer offerings, so it's available everywhere that isn't running old hardware. HFR is built into the upcoming Digital Cinema LED spec, so it won't be going anywhere and it's just a matter of filmmakers deciding that it's appropriate for them to use, as it's also available on all the latest cinema cameras.

[eselv73]

16 months away! Cannot wait for this one....

[emailking]

Literally only a year and a half away wow, can't wait to see what happens next

[Show spoiler]particular with Kiri

also I'm expecting some strong 3D in this! I think there will be a physical release!

[bradipolpo]

Originally Posted by emailking

Literally only a year and a half away

less than that, 16 months