People have started to talk about the Avatar: Fire and Ash trailer, the first look at James Cameron's third movie in his sci-fi saga. But if you’re trying to find it online, you’ll be out of luck (any you find are likely AI-generated fakes). Instead, to watch the Avatar: Fire and Ash trailer, you’ll have to head out to your local movie theater.
The Avatar: Fire and Ash trailer is playing exclusively in front of The Fantastic Four: First Steps screenings. Though Avatar is a 20th Century Studio movie and The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the latest from Marvel Studios, since they both fall under the overall Disney banner, the pairing makes sense. We’ve outlined all the details you need on how to watch The Fantastic Four: First Steps to see where it (and the trailer) are playing in your area.
As of right now we have no indication of when the Avatar: Fire and Ash trailer will be made available online.
While some breakdowns of the trailer and what it shows us about the next chapter for Jake Sully and his family as they fight against a new enemy are already online, the visuals of Cameron’s Avatar franchise are best displayed on the big screen. That’s likely part of why Disney opted for this exclusive debut for the trailer. Though the decision also raises the question of whether a new trend is emerging for the trailers of highly anticipated movies?
Avatar: Fire and Ash is the third noteworthy movie this summer to premiere its trailer exclusively in movie theaters, following Wicked: For Good, which was shown in front of a special screening of Wicked, and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, which played in front of Jurassic World Rebirth (all of those are Universal Pictures movies). The Wicked: For Good trailer was released online practically simultaneously with its theatrical debut, but three weeks since Jurassic World Rebirth was released, Universal still hasn’t released The Odyssey trailer online.
The fact that three of the biggest movies coming out in the next year are making people come to the movie theaters to watch the trailers could be the start of a new trend to get people to buy movie tickets, even for movies that they might otherwise have skipped. I’m an example of that.
After the middling Jurassic World Rebirth reviews, my enthusiasm for the movie waned. But knowing that I’d at least get to see The Odyssey trailer was a significant factor for me in going to see Jurassic World Rebirth in theaters.
Now Jurassic World Rebirth and The Fantastic Four: First Steps were likely never going to need a major incentive like a chance to see these trailers to earn big bucks at the box office, but the fact that two different studios are trying this strategy signals that there could be a trend forming. The real test might be if a studio like Warner Bros. opts to premiere another big blockbuster trailer (Supergirl, maybe) in front of one of their remaining 2025 new movies.
Even if this becomes a new trend, nothing may ever top when the Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace trailer played in front of Meet Joe Black.
Avatar: Fire and Ash, starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Oona Chaplin, and more, releases in movie theaters on December 19.
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