When James Cameron brings a new film to the cinema, we can usually expect a superlative blockbuster. Gigantic budgets, groundbreaking effects, adventurous production stories and much, much more. What many of these films also have in common is one thing epic runtime.
After the first Avatar conquered the big screen with an impressive 162 minutes, James Cameron went one step further with the sequel. Avatar: The Way of Water has a running time of 192 minutes. Can Part 3 surpass this value? In a new interview, Cameron gives a trend.
James Cameron reveals: This is how long Avatar 3 is currently
In preparation for the theatrical release of his latest screen epic, Cameron sat down with the British film magazine Empire to talk about the current status of the mega-blockbuster. He also revealed the rough running time of the film in its current version:
I think, [Avatar: Fire and Ash] is in good shape. We completed twice as many shots in this phase of production as we did for Part 2 [und] the films are about the same length. This puts us far ahead of the curve, something I’ve frankly never experienced before.
Cameron has not yet given a specific number. But when he says that Part 2 and Part 3 are about the same length, that can only mean that the current cut of Avatar: Fire and Ash moved around the rotation of 192 minutes. Depending on how the film develops, it could crack 200 minutes.
200 minutes would be a new record even for Cameron. Although the director likes to deliver massive blockbusters, none of his films have crossed this mark so far. The historical epic Titanic came closest at 194 minutes. We’re excited to see where Avatar: Fire and Ash will land in the Cameron runtime rankings.
Fire and Ash: When does Avatar 3 start in cinemas?
It will be some time before we know the final running time of Avatar: Fire and Ash. By the time of the cinema release at the latest December 17, 2025 we know how long part 3 of the sci-fi series will last. If Cameron misses 200 minutes again, there are still two more sequels with which he can write running time history in blockbuster cinema.