James Cameron has the patience of a saint when it comes to his art. Not only did the first two Avatar movies take nearly three decades to make between them, but there’s a hidden detail in the new Fire and Ash trailer that was first conceptualized nearly 50 years ago.
The filmmaker is behind some of the highest-grossing movies of all time, but Avatar is his true passion project. Although he wrote a treatment for the project back in the ‘90s, Cameron put it on hold to allow technology to develop enough for him to bring the magical realm of Pandora to life.
For many, it was well worth the wait, with the 2009 sci-fi classic redefining what’s possible with CGI on the big screen. Nearly 15 years later, Avatar: The Way of Water made a splash in cinemas, raising the bar for visual effects all over again.
Any other filmmaker may have called it a day, but Cameron is only just getting started. In a new interview with Empire, he revealed his hopes to make an Avatar animated series or film, stating, “A good early example is The Animatrix, where they went afield in the Matrix world.”
James Cameron’s 50 year old concept art comes to life in Avatar 3
While Cameron is thinking about the future, the Avatar 3 trailer has fans looking to his past. Notably, the new Fire and Ash trailer showcases the Medusae – large jellyfish-like creatures that live in the skies of Pandora.
These creatures were first imagined in concept art Cameron created all the way back in 1978 when he produced Xenogenesis, a 12-minute sci-fi short film about an engineered man and a machine-raised woman searching for a new home in space.
The drawing, which shows his idea for a “Mesa Planet” inhabited by the jellyfish creatures, didn’t make it into the final cut – but it has served as inspiration for Avatar 3.
Cameron teased this in an interview with Konbini last April, where he pointed to the art and said, “This guy, you know, some of these ideas will actually emerge in Avatar 3 and Avatar 4.”
The new Fire and Ash trailer gives us our first proper look at the Medusae in action, with Avatar fans celebrating the fact that his 50-year-old idea has been brought to life.
One Redditor shared side-by-side stills of the imagery, writing, “So James Cameron finally got his 1978 concept art realized.” Another replied, “The satisfaction must be amazing after waiting that long.”
“The fact the space guy is wearing a blue suit too!! That’s crazy. Imagine having the desire to bring that concept to life for like fifty years. Unreal,” added a third, while a fourth chimed in, “1978 holy the patience.”
A fifth said, “Ever since I saw this it made me fall in love with Avatar. It’s a passion project through and through. Gotta respect it. Part of why I hate the ‘why is he wasting his time with these for 20 years.’ Sh*t’s been in his mind since he was a kid.”
If you’re wondering where you can see his art, the OP wrote, “There was an exhibition of James Cameron’s art in the Cinémathèque Française in Paris. Looks like it is in the Museo Nazionale del Cinema in Turin now.”
You can also check it out in Tech Noir, a book showcasing various personal and commercial art from Cameron’s own collection. And, of course, you can see the Medusae in Avatar: First and Ash, which lands in cinemas on December 19, 2025.
Bizzare Switch 2 accessory lets you eat McDonald’s fries mid-game with ease