On July 24 2007, it was announced that Ubisoft would be developing Avatar: The Game in conjunction with director James Cameron as he films Avatar. According to director James Cameron, "For the movie 'Avatar' we are creating a world rich in character, detail, conflict and cultural depth. It has the raw material for a game that the more demanding gamers of today will want to get their hands on - one that is rich in visuals and ideas, and challenging in play. I told the Ubisoft team I wanted them to be free to do their very best work, and not think of this as a movie-based game. They responded with a fully realized presentation which captured the soul of the world and the characters, while promising to be a knockout game on its own terms. Their passion inspired my confidence that they are going to do something transcendental."


On July 24 2009, Ubisoft announced that Sigourney Weaver will reprise her role from the film and voice Dr. Grace Augustine. Other actors from the film that will appear in the game include Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi and Stephen Lang. Michelle Rodriguez's character, Trudy Chacon, functions as the player's chopper pilot throughout the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 system and PC versions of the game. Ribisi reprises his role as the arrogant Parker Selfridge, appearing exclusively in the Wii version of the game. The film's antagonist, Col. Quaritch, played and voiced by Lang, will appear in the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 system and PC versions.