The third installment of the sci-fi epic ‘Avatar’ series, meticulously crafted by Oscar-winning director James Cameron, originally titled ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, was scheduled for release in Hong Kong on December 17. However, following the recent fire at Hong Fu Court in Tai Po, the film company announced on the 6th that the Hong Kong release will be postponed until 2026. The English and Chinese subtitles ‘Fire and Ash’ have been dropped, and the film is now simply referred to as ‘Avatar 3’.
The official website issued a notice on the postponement, stating: ‘In light of the unfortunate incident that recently occurred in Tai Po and out of respect for the Hong Kong community, the release of ‘Avatar 3’ originally scheduled for December 17 will be postponed until 2026.’ The statement also expressed the deepest condolences to all affected Hong Kong citizens and added, ‘A new release date will be announced as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.’
In addition, the red carpet premiere of ‘Avatar 3’ that was originally planned for December 8 at the 7th Hainan Island International Film Festival in Sanya, Hainan, China, with a surprise appearance from the director, was recently announced to be canceled. Some fans who received ticket refund notifications said the reason was ‘force majeure’, while others commented that only the red carpet segment was canceled and the planned premiere screening would proceed as scheduled. Many speculate the reasons are also related to the ‘fire’ theme of the premiere. ‘Avatar 3’ is still set to be released in Malaysia on December 18, with presale tickets selling rapidly across the country.