James Cameron has heard most of the criticisms of the Avatar franchise. Length is something that never ends. With Avatar: Fire and Ash, that conversation has resurfaced again, this time from early test audiences.
The upcoming third film in the series directed by James Cameron is set to cross the three-hour mark. The initial cuts lasted even longer. And during test screening, one issue came up more than once – runtime.
Test audiences highlighted a major issue in Avatar: Fire and Ashes
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cameron said that feedback cards from early screenings repeatedly cited the film’s length as a negative point.
Cameron said he reviews each response individually and considers what stays and what goes. Not all feedback results in changes, but some do. He described The Hollywood Reporter’s process as selective rather than defensive, and said he was willing to make adjustments if they did not dilute the core of the story.
“I read every card [from audience members]And I do my own data-driven analysis,” the director explained to THR. “There are things I would [keep in the film] These are important to me, and there are things where I think, ‘Okay, this is not a hill I’m going to die on.’ I like to please the audience. I’m not a person who likes the audience to come out of the theater and say, ‘What a mess that was?'”
The director has made similar calls earlier also. Long run times, followed by months of downtime, are standard in their workflow. Fire and ashes followed the same pattern.
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James Cameron defends the runtime of Avatar: Fire and Ash
The final runtime is approximately three hours and 15 minutes. Shorter than previous versions but still longer than most studio releases.
That length reportedly raised concerns internally as well. Cameron acknowledged that studios often prefer tighter runtimes to allow for more daily screenings. He said this approach is rooted in outdated box office thinking.
In his view, engagement matters more than turnover. During his interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cameron pointed to Titanic, which was released in 1997 and ran for over three hours, as a reference point as to why he was comfortable with the decision.
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James Cameron remains true to his word
Some studio notes reportedly questioned the amount of time devoted to recurring rival Quaritch. Cameron said this is part of the negotiation process. He did not confirm the specific cuts linked to that feedback. Instead, he emphasized balance.
For him, the comfort of the audience matters, but also the weight of the narrative. “There is a wisdom that is a relic of decades ago that if we could achieve more [screenings per day]We’ll make more money,” he explained to THR. “But if you get people involved, word will spread. We proved it with Titanic, which is the same length as Fire and Ashes.”
Slated to be released on December 19, 2025, the film continues the story of Pandora under the Disney banner. Whether the runtime becomes a topic of discussion again will likely depend on how audiences respond once the film reaches theaters.