James Cameron has revealed early reactions to Avatar: Fire and Ash, unveiling what the few people who’ve seen it have to say about the upcoming sequel. Avatar: Fire and Ash‘s story will see the Sully family come into contact with the new “Ash People” Na’vi who live in a volcanic environment, as the RDA continues their activities across Pandora. The movie is expected to expand its sci-fi world in new ways unseen in the previous installments, while focusing on the core family after Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) died.

Speaking with Stuff advocating for the film industry keeping financial aid from New Zealand’s government, Cameron revealed he’s already screened Avatar: Fire and Ash to “a few selected people,” giving them early access to his upcoming sequel. The director said their reactions to the movie were “emotional,” with some calling it the best in the series so far. He also praised the actors involved while teasing a “heart-wrenching” story that would still be satisfying by the very end. Check out what Cameron had to say about the movie’s first impressions below:

I’ve shown it to a few selected people and the feedback has been it’s definitely the most emotional and maybe the best of the three so far. We’ll find out, you know, but I feel pretty good about it. And the work is exceptional from the actors. It’s pretty heart-wrenching in a good way.

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Another Impressive Installment Awaits

The end of Avatar: The Way of Water saw Jake (Sam Worthington) and his family decide to stay with the Metkayina, but still determined to fight back against the RDA. While it’s unclear how the new group of Na’vi will be introduced, their presence is expected to be more antagonistic, making them a core threat in the movie for unknown reasons. However, the Wind Traders clan will also be featured, a group of nomadic people who ride large, jellyfish-like creatures through the sky as they travel.

Given how impressed the early reactions are with the movie, it seems Cameron has seamlessly woven these new elements of Pandora together to create an emotionally impactful sequel. He’s especially proud of Avatar: Fire and Ash‘s cast, hinting at some memorable performances that he’s especially happy about. It’s because of this that character moments could be a core element of the movie’s positive reception so far, hinting at some powerful scenes that tug on the heartstrings. Whether that means more heartbreak for the Sully family, though, remains unknown.

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It Already Sounds Like The Perfect Follow-Up

With multiple positive reactions already, including some claiming it’s the best of the films so far, it sounds like Avatar: Fire and Ash will be a worthy successor to the prior movies. As it continues to expand on the world of Pandora, it also sounds like it’ll provide some memorable, emotional moments for the Sully family that become core elements of the story. With the film marking the halfway point for Cameron’s sci-fi franchise, some big moments are bound to make it one of the most memorable entries.

Source: Stuff