“You have to believe there are real stakes,” the writer-director tells EW.

James Cameron teases more Avatar death in Fire and Ash: ‘This is like the Game of Thrones formula’

"You have to believe there are real stakes," the writer-director tells EW.

By Nick Romano

Nick Romano is a senior editor at ** with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in *Vanity Fair*, Vulture, IGN, and more.

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on December 18, 2025 1:30 p.m. ET

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Varang (Oona Chaplin) attacks in 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'. Credit:

Courtesy of 20th Century Studios

*Avatar: The Way of Water* raised the stakes for the Sully family, and they could get even higher in the sequel, *Avatar: Fire and Ash*.

Writer-director James Cameron shares his ethos around character deaths in these movies with ** ahead of this weekend's premiere in theaters.

"The fact that we killed off a major character in the last film gives the audience permission to believe that we might do it again — and that's critical," the filmmaker says. "You have to believe that there are real stakes."

Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and Jake (Sam Worthington) in 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'.

Courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Jamie Flatters' Neteyam, the eldest son of Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), died after the water battle against the RDA in the finale of 2022's *The Way of Water*. Now in *Fire and Ash*, that tragedy casts a pall over the Na'vi family as they prepare to face the continued onslaughts of Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and the new threat of the Ash People, a group of volcanic Na'vi led by Varang (Oona Chaplin).

"This is like the *Game of Thrones* formula, right?" Cameron continues. "They're like, 'I like this character. This character's really interesting... Oh, crap! No, you didn't!' Yes, we did. It's a little bit of a contract with the audience that we're going to keep you off balance a little bit. When all things are possible, then you've gotta pay attention. And if you're invested, you're gonna feel something no matter what the outcome, good or bad. Isn't that the fun of telling a story?"

James Cameron and 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' cast and crew break down the voyage of the Wind Traders

Zoe Saldaña opens up about being overlooked for her 'Avatar' performances

Also returning for *Avatar: Fire and Ash* from *The Way of Water* are Britain Dalton and Trinity Jo-Li Bliss as Lo'ak and Tuk, Jake and Neytiri's biological children; Sigourney Weaver as Kiri, the Sully's adopted Na'vi daughter; Jack Champion as Spider, Quaritch's son and unofficial Sully family member; Cliff Curtis and Kate Winslet as Tonowari and Ronal of the Metkayina water clan; and Bailey Bass and Filip Geljo as Tsireya and Aonung, the Metkayina leaders' children.

Other cast members include Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, David Thewlis, Jemaine Clement, Giovanni Ribisi, Brendan Cowell, and Duane Evans, Jr.

Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) with mother Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) in 'Avatar: The Way of Water'.

20th Century Studios

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Earlier, Saldaña shared with EW that the death of Neteyam leads Neytiri into a dangerous cycle, one represented by the film's title. Fire is anger and hate, while ash is grief and loss.**

"It was just hard to be in her skin," she said. "Neytiri's a character that, since the beginning, has always been defined by her faith. In this installment of *Avatar*, we find her completely lost and heartbroken and almost enraged," the Oscar winner added. "Her hatred has gotten the best of her, and this blind fury is making even challenging her faith."

*Avatar: Fire and Ash* premieres in theaters this Friday.

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Source: “EW Sci-Fi”