James Cameron and his AVATAR stars measure the success of each film by one parameter: making the audience cry

Director 1960-1969, James Cameron, 1969-1970, 1969-1971, 1969-1972, 1969-1973, 1969-1974, 1969-1975, 1969-1976, 1969-1977, 1969-1979 , 19 he was rather singularly focused on his The Avatar franchise over the last nearly two decades. The first film came out in 2009 and fans waited 13 years to see the second film, Avatar: The Way of Water (2022).

With the third film, Avatar: Fire and Ashin post-production and awaiting its release on December 19, 2025, Cameron revealed that he has already shot the fourth film, which is scheduled for release in 2029, and that he, his cast and crew are working on Avatar 5, which is scheduled for release in 2031.

Cameron has given his all to this world, and has even developed new technology to bring the films to life. But once the films are out, the director says he has one goal for fans, and that is to make them cry.

James Cameron directed the 1997 cinematic phenomenon Titanicand this has been remembered as one of the best tearjerkers for fans, so he knows the formula. During an interview with People at Disney’s D23 convention earlier this month, Cameron talked about the process of making a heartfelt film with each installment in the franchise, saying:

“The hardest part of the job is living with each image every day and its [new] detail, but you can still feel like the film [affects] you as an audience member.

If I can’t cry in the movie, I know I’ve seriously failed, and if I can’t, something is wrong. It needs to be fixed.”

The three-time Oscar winner went on to admit that he “had that crisis of faith about Avatar 3 at one point in an early cut,” when he thought, “‘This is not there.'” And after “they did a little bit of additional work,” Cameron told the magazine, “Now it’s popping. Totally interesting.”

Sam Worthington AND Zoe Saldanawhich recite in the The Avatar film, also spoke to news outlet D23, where Worthington said: “It’s not what you see… it’s what you feel.”

Saldaña added: “I share the same feeling with the audience, because it’s not easy for me to watch things that I’m a part of, but for some reason when I watch The AvatarI have an out of body experience where I look at it as if I was never a part of it, OR I look at it as if I were there. The second, the feeling is so deep,” he said.

Saldaña went on to explain that “honoring that process” of evolving and refining the films was important to their success.

“I think that’s what separates a good movie from a great movie. A story that lives forever is when you honor that process.

We say, ‘We’re not there yet. We’re not going to listen to the formula and the deadlines and the budgets and the, ‘We have to do it this way because everyone else is doing it this way.’ No, no, no.

You really have to stay focused, tune out all that noise and just live the story, and that takes a lot of concentration.”

Worthington added: “I know when the boss calls and says, ‘Hey, I need you to come over,’ he’s missing something. It’s about getting better, it’s about strengthening, it’s about getting deeper. So just show up.”

Avatar: Fire and Ash The film is scheduled for release on December 19, 2025.