If there’s one filmmaker whose shadow looms larger than Pandora’s floating mountains, it’s James Cameron. The director has personally shepherded the Avatar franchise from its earliest sketches to its current status as one of the most lucrative film series in history. But even the Terminator director has hinted that he may not be behind the camera forever, and if he does step away, there's a horror filmmaker in the wings wanting a shot at the series.
According to ScreenRant, James Wan is openly raising his hand if Cameron ever decides to step away. While speaking to the outlet during press for The Copenhagen Test, Wan revealed that Avatar (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription) is one of the few mega-franchises he hasn’t touched yet, and he’d be more than happy to change that if the opportunity arose. He said:
I have not done Avatar. Yeah, if you could put a good one for me with James Cameron, I'd love to take a crack at that.
The Conjuring Universe architect’s interest comes at a precarious moment in the Avatar franchise. The most recent entry, Fire and Ash, has been in theaters for a short time and is already barreling toward the billion-dollar mark worldwide. That kind of momentum makes the idea of the Abyss filmmaker stepping aside feel unthinkable, yet the director himself has acknowledged it’s not off the table. With Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 scheduled for 2029 and 2031, respectively, Cameron’s been vocal about pursuing other long-gestating projects, including another Terminator film.
If the mind behind True Lies were to pass the torch, Wan makes a lot of sense as he’s one of the most commercially reliable filmmakers working today. His Conjuring universe alone has grossed roughly $2.8 billion worldwide, making it the most impactful horror franchise ever. If you take into account Saw, Insidious, Furious 7, and Aquaman, you’re looking at a director who knows how to balance studio expectations and audience appeal.
Of course, Avatar is a very different beast from the Conjuring series. Cameron has engineered the world, obsessing over underwater performance capture, new camera systems, and filmmaking techniques. Wan seems to recognize that stepping into Pandora would likely be a collaborative effort rather than a clean break. Still, if anyone could handle it, it would probably be the horror hitmaker.
That kind of partnership might be the only way Disney would feel comfortable moving forward without the series creator in the director’s chair.
Cameron bowing out of the director’s chair would be a seismic shift for the franchise. He’s been hands-on at nearly every creative level, with a meticulous approach that has clearly resonated with audiences, as the first two movies earned an extraordinary $2.923 billion and $2.343 billion worldwide.
James Cameron remains attached to Avatar 4 and 5, as of this writing, but knowing there’s a proven hitmaker like James Wan eager to step in gives Disney a reassuring safety net if the series' creator decides to move on to other film projects.
Avatar: Fire and Ash is now playing in theaters. Be sure to check your local listings for showtimes.
As for the other James, the Australian-born scare maestro is set to direct the upcoming horror movie adaptation of The Call of Cthulu, although a release date hasn’t been announced, and it’s uncertain whether the film will land on the 2026 movie calendar.
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