Filmmaking titan James Cameron is back in the headlines as “Avatar: The Way of Water” returns to theaters for a limited re-release ahead of this December’s launch of “Avatar: Fire & Ash.” But while the third installment in his mega-franchise is locked, the director isn’t yet committing to the longer game.
Speaking on the CrewCall podcast, Cameron admitted that “Avatar 4” and “Avatar 5” aren’t guaranteed, bluntly pointing to the eye-watering expense of each entry. “We spend a lot of money on these movies, and that’s kind of the banquet that we put before a global audience for the same ticket price as seeing some little indie. But the quid pro quo with that is we have to make a lot of money in order to continue,” he said.
Cameron emphasized the uncertainty of theatrical in the post-COVID era. “Theatrical has kind of taken a nosedive during COVID, and it’s never really rebounded. So the jury’s still out on whether I can continue with the current business model. If I get to make four and five, I know exactly what I’m doing. But the ‘if’ I think is in capital letters and underlined ten times.”
Looking further ahead, Cameron teased that “Avatar 5” will finally take audiences to Earth. “I did want to see… what is the consequence of us running rampant on this beautiful planet that we’re on right now. What does that look like 200 years out? And it’s not pretty.”
But for now, the economics remain the deciding factor. “These movies cost a metric shit ton. They have to make metric shit tons, right? The simple math of movies never changes. You have to make enough to justify a sequel,” he said.
With “Fire & Ash” set to hit theaters on December 19, Cameron insists this entry brings a sense of culmination for the Sully family while still setting the stage for what could be a new arc — if the box office proves audiences want more.
Rodrigo Perez is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Playlist, which he launched in 2007. He has worked in entertainment journalism since 2000, including at MTV, and has written for SPIN, IndieWire, Pitchfork, Complex, Magnet, and various music, film, and entertainment publications over the past two decades.
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