James Cameron Spoke to Disney About Expanding ‘Avatar’ Into Animation: ‘There Might Be an Animated Feature for Streaming or Theatrical’

James Cameron revealed to Empire magazine that he’s spoken to Disney about expanding his blockbuster “Avatar” franchise into animation.

“I said, ‘Look, I want to do an animated anthology series that’s essentially in the world, but stories that you wouldn’t have expected from that world’,” the Oscar winner said. “There might even be an animated feature in there – it might be a feature for streaming or a theatrical feature.”

Cameron said his plan is similar to that of “The Animatrix,” the acclaimed 2003 animated anthology series that told various backstories to “The Matrix” film trilogy. He called that project “a great example for how we can add texture and baroque detail to the world of ‘Avatar.'”

The animated stories could deliver “backstory on characters and tangential stuff that happened off-camera within the movies,” the filmmaker added. “Who first landed on Pandora? The first expedition. You could go anywhere you want… We haven’t done much with that yet. We’re still gathering our stories and that sort of thing, and I’ve got to find the boutique filmmakers, the animators, that want to do it.”

Next for Cameron’s “Avatar” franchise is the theatrical release of “Avatar: Fire and Ash” on Dec. 19, courtesy of Disney and 20th Century Studios. “Fire & Ash” is the third movie in the “Avatar” film franchise, which has been designed by Cameron as a five-movie story.

“You’ll see a lot more Pandora that you never saw before,” Cameron said at the 2024 D23 Expo about the next “Avatar” movie, which debuts a more nefarious Na’vi tribe for the first time. “It’s an insane adventure and a feast for the eyes, but it’s also got very high emotional stakes, more than ever before. We’re going into really challenging territory for all the characters you know and love.”