KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 — Malaysian fans may soon see Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh step into the world of Pandora, with Avatar creator James Cameron confirming that the Oscar-winning actress is slated to appear in the franchise’s fourth and fifth films — if they are ultimately greenlit.
Speaking in a recent interview tied to the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash, the 71-year-old director told Taiwanese outlet TVBS News that Yeoh’s involvement is already planned.
“Michelle is definitely going to be in 4, if we make 4,” Cameron said.
That, however, comes with a significant caveat. Cameron acknowledged the financial pressures currently facing the film industry, particularly for large-scale productions.
“So, here’s the thing: the movie industry is depressed right now. Avatar 3 cost a lot of money. We have to do well in order to continue. We have to do well and we need to figure out how to make Avatar movies more inexpensively in order to continue,” he reportedly said.
Should the sequels move forward, Cameron said the next two films would be shot together, continuing the franchise’s long-form storytelling approach.
“If we continue and we do 4, we also do 4 and 5 together,” he said, adding that the films would follow “one big story.”
Cameron also shared early details about Yeoh’s role, revealing that she will play a Na’vi “performance-capture character” named Paktuelat.
Yeoh has been linked to the Avatar universe for years, though she has yet to make her on-screen debut in the franchise.
In 2019, the official Avatar X account announced her casting as Dr Karina Mogue in a birthday tribute.
Two years later, producer Jon Landau posted a photo of Yeoh on set with Cameron, writing: “Michelle Yeoh kept Jim busy between set-ups while filming Avatar 3!”
Despite the speculation, Cameron later clarified in 2024 that Yeoh would not appear in the third film.
“So that got a little bit misreported. She will be coming in soon to do her part, which is an interesting, fun character,” he told Entertainment Weekly.
“I mean, we're getting ahead of ourselves now. This whole thing has been planned for years and years. The scripts were all written years ago, through the end of movie 5.”
He added that production on later instalments had already begun in parts.
“So we've been working on parts of 4 even as we go along, mostly because we've got this young cast,” Cameron said.
“We had to shoot them all while they were still young.”
Cameron also praised Yeoh while speaking to Entertainment Weekly alongside Avatar stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña.
“We love Michelle,” he said.
“She was always a movie star, but she's blown up into a huge, huge phenomenon. I look forward to working there.”
Yeoh herself has previously confirmed her involvement in the franchise, telling Entertainment Weekly: “So, yes, I am in the Avatar sequels and as you know we can't really talk very much about it. But it's James Cameron! Come on! I would be the tea lady for James Cameron!”
She also revealed that she “shot for a few weeks,” adding: “I was so impressed with the work that he's done, the work that he's doing, the energy… He’s a genius, he’s a walking genius… and I really really enjoyed the experience and I can’t wait to go back soon, I hope.”
For now, Yeoh’s long-awaited appearance in the Avatar universe will depend on how Fire and Ash performs at the box office — and whether Cameron’s ambitious plans for the franchise continue to move forward.
