Avatar 4 Is A “Motherf**ker,” James Cameron Says, But He Might Not Direct It (If It Even Gets Made)

James Cameron has shared new details on his Avatar series, saying in an interview that he’s very excited for Avatar 4, in particular, but he’s not sure it’ll ever be made. Speaking to Empire, the Oscar-winning Titanic director shared some thoughts on where the sci-fi series is headed in the future and what his role in the series may be in the future, should Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 get made.

“Everything I need to say about family, about sustainability, about climate, about the natural world, the themes that are important to me in real life and in my cinematic life, I can say on this canvas,” he said of the Avatar series. “I got more excited as I went along. Movie four is a corker. It’s a motherfucker. I actually hope I get to make it. But it depends on market forces.”

Avatar 3 is already done, so it’s definitely releasing, Cameron said, but whether or not Avatar 4 and 5 get made depends on how well Avatar 2: The Way Of Water and Avatar 3 perform. “I really hope that we get to make four and five because it’s one big story, ultimately,” he said.

If Avatar 4 and 5 do get made, Cameron may not direct them. He said making the Avatar movies is an “all-consuming” process and he has other projects he wants to make. That being said, Cameron hasn’t decided anything yet.

“I think eventually over time–I don’t know if that’s after three or after four–I’ll want to pass the baton to a director that I trust to take over, so I can go do some other stuff that I’m also interested in. Or maybe not. I don’t know.”

The Way Of Water also stars Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, Giovanni Ribisi, and Kate Winslet. The movie hits theaters on December 16, 2022.

The original Avatar, meanwhile, will return to theaters on September 23. That movie holds the record for the biggest box office success ever, at $2.847 billion, outpacing the No. 2 movie, Avengers: Endgame ($2.797 billion).

Ubisoft’s new Avatar game, Frontiers of Pandora, is rumored to be released in November, just ahead of The Way of Water.