“It’s darker in a lot of ways”: Simon Franglen and Deborah Lynn Scott on Avatar – Fire and Ash

Avatar: Fire and Ash sees James Cameron return us to Pandora with the same ambition and immersive scale that have defined his career, from Titanic and Aliens to the original Avatar. A master of combining technological innovation with emotionally driven storytelling, Cameron once again builds a world that demands to be experienced on the biggest screen possible, while pushing the franchise into darker, more complex territory. The introduction of the Ash people is the film’s most striking new element, reshaping our understanding of Pandora through a harsher, more volatile worldview, with Oona Chaplin delivering a standout performance that gives their presence real edge and grit. As Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and their family grapple with grief and fractured bonds, Fire and Ash further embed its environmental allegory, prompting questions about whether we want our own world to be driven by profit and unchecked capitalism or by balance, community and care – framing the Avatar saga, at its core, as a story of nature pushing back.

The Upcoming spoke to composer Simon Franglen about shaping what he described as a “much more intense” and “darker” movie. He explained that when the Ash people enter the story, “everything that we think we know about Pandora has changed”, prompting a score built around discord. Reflecting the growing distance between Jake and Neytiri, Franglen wanted the music to feel “never quite in harmony”, but always with “this tension” underneath. He also discussed evolving the iconic musical DNA established by the late James Horner, noting that Fire and Ash is “substantially a new score”, and stressed that the film “doesn’t feel the same on a phone”, underlining the importance of the cinematic experience.

We also had the chance to hear from costume designer Deborah Lynn Scott, who spoke about grounding Pandora’s fantasy in something tactile and real. She explained that every Na’vi costume is physically built using natural materials, so the visual effects artists have “a real thing” to work from. Scott discussed designing the Ash people, whose volcanic environment led to a look built around body art rather than traditional costume, and praised the film’s female characters, calling Varang “very special” and highlighting Neytiri’s battle costume as one of her proudest achievements. For Scott, the franchise’s power lies in its emotional truth, noting that beneath the spectacle, “I don’t see blue people anymore, I see real people”.

Sarah Bradbury

Avatar: Fire and Ash is released nationwide on 19^th December 2025.

Watch the trailer for Avatar: Fire and Ash here: