Barring any change of heart by 20th Century Fox or the reception to “Avatar 2” turning out to be so underwhelming that the studio has to change course, James Cameron and co. are planning on making four sequels to his 2009 box office hit. And while some argue that “Avatar” hasn’t contributed a significant enough cultural footprint to warrant a sequel, the bottom line is that other corporations are banking on the franchise’s success, including Disney, which is already building the “Pandora–The World of Avatar” attraction which is set to open next year at Disneyworld in Florida. But is there a need for more ‘Avatar’ movies? Well, Cameron has a pretty easy answer for that one.
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“The ‘Avatar’ story arc was originally meant to be a trilogy, but I overwrite, and my writers overwrote as well,” he told Variety. “But basically, the first of the sequels cloned itself and became two films, so now it’s four films. And the studio’s very happy with it. They have an opportunity to make more money, but it’s also an opportunity to spend a lot more money, too, so there’s a clench factor.”
I dunno —I have more faith in a filmmaker who understands that the ability to self-edit, rather than to indulge indiscriminately in every single idea, is key. But if you have a major studio throwing all kinds of money at you, perhaps editing is besides the point. And as Cameron makes clear, this is a big gamble for Fox, and while Cameron has shouldered many big movies in his career, this might be the one bearing the greatest biggest expectations.
“Avatar 2” is expected to arrive in 2018.
