Fez — “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” the third film in James Cameron’s blockbuster franchise, is set to hit the theaters on Wednesday across Morocco, led by a national rollout in Megarama cinemas and the newly opened IMAX theater in Rabat.
For many moviegoers, it is both a return to Pandora and a first chance to see the series in the kind of immersive format it was designed for.
A new chapter on Pandora
Set after the events of “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Avatar: Fire and Ash” follows Jake and Neytiri as they navigate a Pandora that is no longer just a jungle and ocean world, but a planet under pressure.
This time, the story turns toward the volcanic and scorched regions of Pandora and introduces a new Na’vi clan often referred to as the “Ash People.” Where earlier films focused on water and forests, this one leans into fire, lava fields, and harsher landscapes, with the Sully family caught between protecting their own and facing a renewed human threat.
Without spoiling key twists, the film continues the thread that has run through the series from the start: family bonds, survival, and the cost of colonization. Younger characters who were in the background before step into the spotlight, and the stakes are more personal, even as the scale of the battles grows.
A record-breaking franchise returns
The first “Avatar” changed large-scale filmmaking when it was released in 2009, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time worldwide and helping popularize modern 3D and premium large formats in cinemas. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” released more than a decade later, and again crossed the billion-dollar mark and confirmed that audiences were still willing to show up in theaters for Pandora’s world.
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” builds on that momentum with even more advanced visual effects, extended action set-pieces, and a focus on elements — fire, ash, molten rock — that push the franchise into a slightly darker, more dramatic atmosphere than the first two films.
Where to watch it in Morocco
Across the country, Megarama is screening the film in its main multiplexes, including Casablanca, Marrakech, Fes, and Tangier.
Showtimes include both original version and dubbed screenings, depending on the city and auditorium, with evening and weekend slots expected to be especially busy as end-of-year holidays approach.
In Rabat, the experience goes a step further with the recently opened IMAX with Laser room at Megarama in Arribat Center. There, “Avatar: Fire and Ash” is going to be projected on a curved giant screen with sharper image, deeper contrast, and multichannel sound designed for large-scale action and dense soundscapes. For viewers who followed the saga on regular screens until now, this release is being marketed as the most “complete” way to visit Pandora so far.
Why this installment matters
Beyond the spectacle, “Avatar: Fire and Ash” is positioned as a turning point for the series. The film continues to expand the map of Pandora, adding new cultures, ecosystems, and conflicts, while setting up future chapters Cameron has already teased.
For Moroccan cinemas, it is also a strategic moment. The combination of a global tent-pole film and upgraded local infrastructure — from the IMAX screen in Rabat to modern Megarama complexes in major cities — gives theaters a strong title to pull audiences back into multiplexes at the end of 2025.
Between returning fans who have followed Jake and Neytiri since the first film and a younger generation discovering Pandora for the first time on a giant screen, “Avatar: Fire and Ash” is likely to be one of the films that define this cinema season in Morocco.
