Avatar: Fire and Ash Filming Locations – Where Was Avatar 3 Shot?

Avatar: Fire and Ash is the third installment in the groundbreaking, Avatar franchise, following Avatar (2009) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). The movie continues the story of Jake Sully and Neytiri as they face new threats to their family and home. It was directed and co-written by James Cameron. The movie, which comes out on December 19, 2025, adds a new Na’vi tribe called the Ash People and more land on Pandora with stunning new visuals and environments.

Returning actors in the movie include Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, and Kate Winslet. New actors David Thewlis and Oona Chaplin join the series. The story and special effects of Fire and Ash get a lot of attention, but where it was filmed is also a big part of its magic.

Today we’re going to look closely at the places where the fiery parts of Pandora were filmed.

Where Was Avatar: Fire and Ash Filmed?

Filming for Avatar: Fire and Ash began as early as September 25, 2017, when principal photography kicked off at Manhattan Beach Studios in California. This phase included extensive performance capture for the main cast, which was completed by November 2018. Cameron chose to shoot the second and third Avatar films simultaneously to streamline production.

Live-action filming began in early 2019 in New Zealand, but was paused in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, by June 2020, the crew—including James Cameron and producer Jon Landau—resumed shooting in New Zealand after completing a mandatory quarantine.

By December 2020, Cameron announced that 95% of filming for Fire and Ash had been completed, with only minor pick-up shots remaining. These final scenes were filmed in June 2024.

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All Confirmed Avatar: Fire and Ash Filming Locations

1. Stone Street Studios – Wellington, New Zealand

Stone Street Studios, which is in the Wellington suburb of Miramar, was a major hub for the live-action production of Fire and Ash. Big productions often take place at the studio, and advanced soundstage technology and blue-screen environments were key to making Pandora come to life.

Wellington was also home to Weta Digital, the company that made the movie’s groundbreaking special effects. A lot of scenes with Pandora’s landscapes and the Ash People that use a lot of CGI were planned and finished here.

2. MBS Media Campus – Manhattan Beach, California, USA

After several months of filming, performance capture scenes for Fire and Ash began at this facility in Los Angeles County. Because MBS Media Campus has high-tech sound stages and motion capture equipment, the team was able to bring the characters and creatures of Pandora to life in great detail.

Using cutting-edge rigs and lighting systems, Cameron used this location to film motion capture scenes with underwater scenes and fight scenes.

3. Warner Bros. Studios – Burbank, California, USA

Some additional live-action shots were completed at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, particularly for interior spaceship scenes and small-scale set builds that did not require expansive blue screen environments. These scenes focused more on character interaction and were primarily shot during reshoots and pickups.

4. Lviv and Yavoriv, Lviv Oblast – Ukraine

Lviv and the surrounding areas in western Ukraine are one of the more surprising places where Avatar: Fire and Ash will be filmed. Parts of the Ash People’s world—like the barren, volcanic landscapes and scenes after a forest fire, were filmed in Yavoriv, which is known for its rough, remote terrains.

The final look of Pandora in the movie was changed digitally, but these real places were used as natural models for how the Ash People’s harsh land should look. To make detailed VFX environments, the team used photogrammetry, location scans, and footage from drones in the air.

5. Wellington Region – Natural Landscapes, New Zealand

Beyond studio shooting, several natural locations around Wellington and Rotorua were used as references for new Pandora regions introduced in Fire and Ash. There are geothermal zones, volcanic ridges, and sulphur springs that look a lot like the burned-out landscapes that the Ash People lived in.

The camera crew took detailed pictures of the Taupō Volcanic Zone and the Waimangu Volcanic Valley. These pictures were then digitally recreated to show the home country of the Ash People.

6. Backlot and Studio Facilities – Los Angeles, California

Backlots and sound stages in Los Angeles were used to film pick-ups and specialised scenes during production. Some of these were scenes with real effects, stunts with rigs and interactions between creatures. The team followed strict safety rules for the pandemic, and the production in L.A. made sure that there was no break between performance capture and live-action.

Behind-the-Scenes Highlights

James Cameron and his team pushed technical boundaries again with Fire and Ash. The movie shows new Na’vi tribes, like the Ash People, who are different from the old groups. Their land is defined by ash, fire and heat, which were brought to life with the help of expert VFX work and on-location photography.

 

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Producer Jon Landau said that the Ash People aren’t completely bad, giving us a more nuanced look at Na’vi morality. The movie also shows the Wind Traders — a group of nomadic Na’vi who were inspired by historical merchant caravans. They add to Pandora’s culture and regions even more.

The film’s unique visual aesthetic required extensive groundwork. Drone teams scanned volcanic terrains in New Zealand and Ukraine, which the VFX department then used to generate digital landscapes. Over 140 million NZD in production incentives were invested by New Zealand to support the Avatar sequels, making it one of the country’s largest film projects since The Hobbit trilogy.

Avatar: Fire and Ash – Production Timeline Chart

Officail Trailer

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