Avatar: The Way of Water producer Jon Landau has revealed further details surrounding the upcoming sequel Avatar 4. Yes, you read that right, Avatar 4, not Avatar 3. Speaking with Empire, Landau revealed that there would be a “big time jump” between chapters 3 and 4, aging up the children of Jake and Neytiri into adults.

Not only will Avatar 4 follow the likes of Kiri, Lo'ak, Tuktirey, and Spider into adulthood, but Landau also confirmed that Avatar 5 (the final installment) would take both the characters and audiences to Earth. While all we have seen and heard of Earth so far has been bleak, Landau and director James Cameron want to convey that things can change if you respect the environment around you. As Landau explains it...

"There's over-population, and a depletion of our natural resources, which makes life harder. But we don't want to paint a bleak picture of where our world is going. The films are also about the idea that we can change course."

Landau states that, despite the scenery change, Avatar 5 will maintain the Sully family as its main protagonists, with the Na’vi themselves helping to affect change on Earth.

"Hopefully, The Way of Water came to its own conclusion, as I think each movie will. But they do set things up because we get more and more invested in these characters. Where does Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) go? What is Lo'ak (Britain Dalton) up to? What decisions will Jake and Neytiri have to make? All of these will continue to drive our story."

RELATED: Discovering the Future of the Avatar Franchise: Insights from Producer Jon Landau

Avatar 3 Will Also Make Some Major Changes

avatar way of water dire horses ash clan
20th Century Studios

While some have criticized Avatar: The Way of Water for being too similar to its record-breaking predecessor, it sounds like the franchise will not make the same mistake again. As well as the changes being made for both Avatar 4 and Avatar 5, the first sequel, Avatar 3, also has a few things up its sleeve.

First, the villains will not be the "sky people" in the threequel. Instead, the Sully family will find themselves battling fellow Na’vi, The Ash People, a volcanic tribe led by Game of Thrones star Oona Chaplin. "There are good humans, and there are bad humans – the same thing on the Navi side – but oftentimes, people don't see themselves as bad,” Landau said of the sequel. “What is the root cause of how they evolve into what we perceive as bad? Maybe there are other factors there that we're not aware of."

Not only that, but Avatar 3 will also change the narrator, dropping Jake Sully in favor of his son, Lo’ak. "It won't be radical, but maybe fine-tune it a bit to emphasize that which people are responding to,” director James Cameron said of tweaking Avatar 3. “For example, Lo'ak really emerged as a character that people went with, so I might find ways to ... now, he's already the narrator -- oh, I'm giving away something here ... But this is okay, I think it could be intriguing for people to think about what's coming."

Avatar: The Way of Water is in theaters now and tells the story of the Sully family, the trouble that follows them, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure. Avatar 3 is currently due for release on December 20, 2024, with further installments scheduled for December 18, 2026, and December 22, 2028.