James Cameron says avoiding ‘Star Wars’ led to ‘Avatar 2’ delays, 4 sequels will be ‘massive’
Fans have had to wait a long time for a sequel to the biggest film of all-time, but now Avatar 2 will arrive in theaters in 2018. Director and creator James Cameron spoke about the delays, giving fans an overview of what to expect.
“I’ve been working the last couple of years with a team of four top screenwriters to design the world of Avatar going forward: the characters, the creatures, the environment, the new cultures,” the Terminator director said at the FOX event in Las Vegas.
“So far, the art I’m seeing is, in pure imagination, really far beyond the first film. It’s going to be a true epic saga. … So together, we’re going to continue to make this industry the greatest show on earth. That’s what we do.”
Avatar 2 is now set for the Christmas 2018 release with the rest of the saga coming to cinemas in in 2020, 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Cameron attributed some of the delay on avoiding the Star Wars franchise, it would be “stupid,” but attributed most of the delay to the size and scope of four new films.
“We have decided to embark on a truly massive cinematic process,” he said, quoted by The Hollywood Reporter. The original plan was to have 3 sequels but he further explained the need to extend.
“We began to bump up against the limitations of our art form. Cameron also stated that each film will have its standalone story that will make an exciting saga.”
Avatar ended with Jake (Sam Worthington), a human who was turned into Avatar, became the tribal chieftain. His wife Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) also made a name for herself by becoming a high priestess. The first movie about the battle for survival of the Na’vi culture versus the industrialized world and earned a total of $2.8 billion worldwide.
Sigourney Weaver (Dr. Grace Augustine) and Stephen Lang (Miles Quaritch) are both set to return in future films, but how will Weaver and Lang return after dying in the first film, has not been revealed.