Fans of James Cameron’s Avatar franchise just got their first glimpse of David Thewlis’s character, Peylak, the chieftain of the Wind Traders tribe from Avatar: Fire and Ash, courtesy of Empire Magazine. This marks Thewlis’s debut in the Avatar universe.
EXCLUSIVE 🪼
— Empire (@empiremagazine) February 7, 2025
Meet Peylak, chieftain of the Wind Traders in #Avatar: Fire And Ash, played by David Thewlis.
“He’s absolutely stunning in the movie,” costume designer Deborah L. Scott tells Empire.
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What We Know About Avatar: Fire and Ash
While plot details remain largely under wraps, the film follows Jake Sully and his family as they leave the Omatikaya clan after the events of Avatar: The Way of Water and join the nomadic Metkayina clan.
Another major addition to the cast is Oona Chaplin, who plays Varang, the leader of the Ash People. Director James Cameron describes Varang as “The leader of a people who have endured incredible hardship. She’s hardened by that and will do anything for them, even things we would consider evil.”
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Production and Returning Cast
With a massive $250 million budget, Avatar: Fire and Ash was filmed alongside Avatar: The Way of Water, beginning in 2017 and wrapping in 2020. Cameron previously revealed that the film’s first cut was nine hours long, featuring footage from future sequels, Avatar 4 and Avatar 5.
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Returning cast members include Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao, Matt Gerald, Kate Winslet, and Cliff Curtis.
Avatar: Fire and Ash is set to hit theatres worldwide on December 19, 2025.