James Cameron to take fans behind the scenes in new ‘Avatar’ documentary ‘Fire and Water’

James Cameron is finally pulling back the curtain on Pandora. The first trailer for Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films has dropped, teasing an inside look at the years of innovation and creativity behind one of cinema’s most ambitious franchises.

Set to premiere soon on Disney+, the documentary offers fans a deep dive into the making of 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water and a sneak peek at the upcoming Avatar: Fire and Ash. As reported by Variety, the film goes behind the scenes with Cameron, the late producer Jon Landau, and stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Kate Winslet.

In the trailer, Cameron says, “I’m going to let you in on a little secret. As much as we use computers and technology, Avatar is made by an incredibly talented team of people who bring every expression, every emotional beat, and the entire world to life.”

The footage showcases how performance capture technology turns the cast’s physical and emotional performances into Na’vi realism. Viewers also get a look at the massive 680,000-gallon water tank used to film underwater sequences—where actors trained in free diving to bring the aquatic world of Pandora to life.

“If not for the actors, Pandora would just be a beautiful world with no life in it,” Saldana says in the trailer, while Worthington adds, “There’s not one thing that you see us do that is animated. It is all us.”

Directed and produced by Thomas C. Grane, with Cameron and Rae Sanchini as executive producers, the project arrives just as Saldana recently urged for a documentary to capture the artistry behind Avatar. “James is considering a documentary about the making of Avatar—finally giving us a chance to explain why performance capture is the most empowering form of acting,” she said.

The next chapter in the saga, Avatar: Fire and Ash, is set to hit theaters on December 19, 2025.