'Avatar: Fire and Ash' director James Cameron talks about Pandora's origins

Moviegoers around the world are gearing up to return to Pandora on Dec. 19, as "Avatar: Fire and Ash" hits theaters.

It's the third movie in the blockbuster franchise, continuing the saga that began in 2009's "Avatar" and picking up in the aftermath of 2022's "Avatar: The Way of Water." The original movie is the highest-grossing film of all time, while the sequel earned more than $2 billion worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.

In an interview for "20/20," director James Cameron pulled back the curtain on how "Avatar: Fire and Ash" brings the series into its most visually and emotionally daring territory yet.

A new "20/20" special, "Avatar: A New Era" airing Friday, Dec. 12, at 10 p.m. ET on ABC and streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu, goes behind the scenes of the new movie.

"Avatar" and "Avatar: The Way of Water" are both available to stream on Disney+.

Cameron said his goal in creating the series, its blue-skinned Na'vi heroes and their homeworld Pandora was to develop an imaginative, immersive universe for audiences.

"What we set out to do with 'Avatar' is not just tell a good story, buttotell that story in terms that have a lot of impact on the audience," Cameron said. "We try to create this world and invite you into it and let you live in it."

According to Cameron, he first had the idea for the "Avatar" universe when he was a teenager and dreamt of a bioluminescent forest.

"I was 19," he said. "I woke up and I sketched it-- in color. And it had glowing trees and purplemoss andthese kindof treesthatkinda looked like fiber optics."

"Avatar: Fire and Ash" follows Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and their Na'vi family as they continue to fight for survival while Pandora faces colonization by humans.

They take on a familiar threat in human-turned-Na'vi Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and a new enemy in Varang (Oona Chaplin), the deadly leader of a volcano-dwelling Na'vi clan.

Cameron told "20/20" that the plot of the movie and the plight of the Sully family intentionally mirrors some of the problems we face through its science fantasy lens.

"I think it's important for films to examine real issues, real terrestrial issues, earthbound issues, and get into that and show the compassion of the humanity," he said. "Those of us, I think, that can cultivate that empathy will be the ones that are the hope of the future."

As the franchise continues to expand into the future, Cameron noted that his passion for the "Avatar" franchise hasn't faded.

"I'mverycognizantof the fact thatI'm71 and Iwon'tbe able to do thisindefinitely.AndyetI'mstill as excited as I ever wascreatively," he said.

"Avatar: Fire and Ash" will be distributedby 20th Century Studios, which is a division of Disney, ABC'sparentcompany.