Na’vi creatures rise in ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’

The Na’vi are taking to the skies once more.

Disney Unveils Stunning Concept Art for Avatar: Fire and Ash

Disney unveiled five new pieces of stunning concept art from Avatar: Fire and Ash at the studio’s D23 Brazil event on Saturday. The illustrations from James Cameron’s threequel show off a host of gorgeous designs teasing new corners of Pandora that have yet to be explored on screen.

High-Flying Aircraft and New Creatures

Two of the illustrations — one by Steve Messing and another by Dylan Cole — feature high-flying aircraft floating through the sky above otherworldly cliffs and a bioluminescent ocean. The aircraft have fleshy balloons, sails that look like bat wings, veinlike stripes, and jellyfish-esque tail sections, suggesting that they might be organic or even living creatures. 

Another illustration by Zachary Berger depicts a Na’vi riding a flying creature that looks like the banshees from the previous movies, but with wings with more segments akin to sharp feathers. The rider is wearing a new tribal headpiece, suggesting that they are a new character (though it’s possible that it’s a familiar face from one of the previous movies in a different getup).

New Tribe of Na’vi and Intriguing Village Setting

One of the other illustrations, also by Messing, offers a glimpse at the film’s new tribe of Na’vi, the Ash People. One character (perhaps Jake Sully?) appears to be handcuffed as he’s led into the village by tribespeople bearing weapons that look like they’ve been commandeered from Earth’s military forces. The village itself rests atop an ash-like powder (which might just literally be ash, given the movie’s subtitle), and boasts a number of complex tent structures, tapestries, and other textiles. Tons of banshees rest on the cliffs overlooking the community.

The last illustration, also by Cole, looks more like an image from 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water, as it shows a massive group of Na’vi and Tulkun gathered in a circle in the glowing sea. The scene may take place in the Metkayina community that we first saw in The Way of Water — meaning it might reveal some kind of ceremonial sendoff before Jake Sully’s family heads off to encounter another tribe.

James Cameron on the Meaning Behind “Fire and Ash”

Cameron explained the new movie’s title in an interview with Entertainment Weekly at D23 in Anaheim, Calif., earlier this year. “It took a long time to come up with a title that I felt resonated with what’s in the film,” the Titanic director said. “I don’t think I could say too much about it until you actually see the film and you see what it means, but if you think of fire as hatred, anger, violence, that sort of thing, and ash is the aftermath — so what’s the aftermath? Grief, loss, right? And then what does that cause in the future? More violence, more anger, more hatred. It’s a vicious cycle. So that’s the thinking.”

Avatar: Fire and Ash is set to land in theaters on Dec. 19, 2025.

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FAQs

What is the release date for Avatar: Fire and Ash?

Avatar: Fire and Ash is scheduled to premiere in theaters on December 19, 2025.

Who are some of the artists behind the concept art for the movie?

The concept art for Avatar: Fire and Ash was created by artists such as Steve Messing, Dylan Cole, and Zachary Berger.

Credit: ew.com