An unforgettable theatrical experience awaits viewers, promised James Cameron in a message to fans ahead of the release of Avatar 3, the sequel to 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water.

A 52-second video the makers shared on Friday offers a sneak peek at the clash between Varang (Oona Chaplins) and Quaritch (Stephen Lang), intercut with Cameron’s clips in which he describes the film as emotionally powerful and epic in scale.

The video ends with Cameron thanking fans for being a part of the Avatar story.

Starring Zoe Saldaña and Sam Worthington, Avatar: Fire and Ash will arrive in theatres on 19 December.

Avatar, the first film of the franchise, was released in 2009, followed by its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, which came out in 2022.

Fire and Ash was filmed back-to-back with The Way of Water, which depicted the ongoing conflict between humans and the Na’vi following the return of the ruthless Resources Development Administration (RDA) to Pandora.

In The Way of Water, Jake Sully (Worthington) and Neytiri (Saldaña) successfully defend the aquatic Metkayina clan and the whale-like Tulkuns against an RDA assault. However, the victory comes at a steep cost, as their eldest son gets killed and the RDA remains a formidable presence in Pandora.

The upcoming film will pick up after the events of The Way of Water. Oona Chaplin of Game of Thrones fame will portray Varang, the leader of the Ash People. David Thewlis and Michelle Yeoh will also be joining the cast of Fire and Ash.

Returning alongside Worthington and Saldaña are Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Britain Dalton, Jack Champion, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Bailey Bass, Joel David Moore, Edie Falco, and Dileep Rao.

Both Avatar and Avatar: Way of Water are among the top five highest-grossing movies of all time. Avatar tops the list with a lifetime collection of USD 2.9 billion, while Way of Water is in the third spot with earnings to the tune of USD 2.3 billion.