James Cameron Is a Billionaire, Forbes Reports Days Before ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Release

James Cameron is officially a billionaire, Forbes reports just a few days ahead of the theatrical release of “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” The sequel is the third film in Cameron’s blockbuster “Avatar” film franchise, which includes 2009’s “Avatar” (the highest-grossing movie of all time with $2.9 billion) and 2022’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” (the third highest-grossing movie of all time with $2.3 billion).

As reported by Forbes: “Beginning in the 1980s with ‘The Terminator’ and ‘Aliens’ and extending through ‘Titanic’ and the first two ‘Avatar’ movies,. Cameron’s movies have collectively earned nearly $9 billion at the global box office, and his share of those earnings form the bulk of a personal net worth Forbes now estimates to be $1.1 billion. That puts Cameron on the extremely short list of filmmakers who have reached billionaire status, including George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson and Tyler Perry.”

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The publication adds: “Forbes estimates that Cameron stands to make at least $200 million (before taxes and fees) on ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ assuming the movie lives up to its lofty box office expectations.”

Cameron often cites the money when it comes to defending or advocating for the “Avatar” franchise. When he pitched the studio on adding another sequel to his franchise plans, thus bringing the total number of “Avatar” films to five, he asked them if they were interested in more opportunities to make $2 billion grossers.

“We were working on three scripts and then it turned into four. Two got split into two and three,” Cameron recently told Discussing Film. “I actually got a fair bit of pushback from the studio,” Cameron said. “My counterargument was, ‘Wait a minute. What part of you getting another chance to make $2 billion is in question here?’”

When Discussing Film also asked Cameron why he continues to use 3D and high-frame rate to shoot the “Avatar” movies despite audience’s divisiveness to HFR, the director responded: “I think $2.3 billion says you might be wrong on that. Well, that’s the argument from authority. But the argument from artistic is: I happen to like it, and it’s my movie.”

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” opens in theaters Dec. 19 from 20th Century Studios and Disney.