‘Avatar 4’: Disney Asking For “Cheaper & Shorter” Sequels From James Cameron, To Minimize Studio “Risk” After Box Office Dips

We recently heard from producer Rae Sanchini that both “Avatar 4” and “Avatar 5” would be moving forward after creator/director James Cameron had telegraphed that the box office performance of “Avatar: Fire & Ash” could be a major factor in the studio’s desire to complete those next two installments.

However, as The Wrap is reporting, there may be some caveats going on behind the scenes with Cameron and Disney/20th Century Studios; the latter is said to be asking in current “conversations” for these next two sequels to be more “cheaper” and “shorter” than the last one in an attempt to help quell the company and studio’s “risk” on those event pics.

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You might be a little shocked that Disney would be reportedly making these kinds of demands of Cameron, because they have infused “Avatar” into their parks, but they had inherited the costly film franchise AFTER their acquisition of 21st Century Fox. The outlet adds that Disney’s “risk” might be carrying over to the parks, as they state, “Some indications that Disney could be rethinking a planned ‘Avatar’ expansion to one of its California theme parks.”

Given the big bucks being thrown around here (“Fire & Ash” budget was $350 million), we have to imagine that Cameron understood after the merger he wouldn’t be dealing with the same people who originally tasked him to deliver them four massive/expensive follow-ups (each installment has dipped at the box office, “Fire & Ash” made something in the range of $890 million less than what “The Way of Water” did). There had been some “Avatar 4” scenes shot, which explains why Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh (who plays a human) hasn’t shown up yet.

Until we learn officially what this all means, it simply sounds like studio feedback, and at least with the length of the films, it sounds like something that would benefit audiences who have long complained about the movies’ runtimes. When it comes to “Fire & Ash” you could really feel it’s length, mainly, because the film (“The Way of Water” and “Fire & Ash” two-halfs of the “Avatar 2” script) felt like a near derivative sequel, repeating many scenes and action beats seen in “Avatar 2” (we lost count how many times characters are kidnapped and then rescued).

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A continuation of the Pandora Saga wasn’t a given when new owners came in, but these asks/adjustments may give Cameron the buffer/olive branch to keep chugging along without the worry of another steep box office drop.