As soon as James Cameron and 20th Century Fox announced four more “Avatar” films following the juggernaut success of the original movie, naysayers immediately doubted audiences’ appetite for more. But as usual, Cameron has proved the skeptics wrong. “Avatar: The Way of Water” has already cleared $1.5 billion plus at the global box office and became the highest-grossing film of 2022 after surpassing “Top Gun: Maverick” for the title.
Cameron has now declared the sequel profitable (after originally claiming $2 billion was the profitability mark). That means they’ll be able to complete work on “Avatar 4,” which had already started production during the filming of the first two sequels, and indicates that all-steam ahead for “Avatar 5” as well. While speaking with GQ Magazine, the filmmaker revealed he knew what he’d be doing for the next six-seven years. Its massive numbers this early is most likely giving the studio a large incentive for Cameron to finish those next two films or even more beyond that.
“It looks like with the momentum that the film has now that we’ll easily pass our break even in the next few days, so it looks like I can’t wiggle out of this and I’m gonna have to do these other sequels,” Cameron told GQ. “I know what I’m going to be doing the next six or seven years.”
This comes after Cameron himself was optimistic but also wary about meeting those lofty box office numbers ahead of release, but audiences were certainly game for a return to Pandora as the film continues to earn big bucks for Disney into the new year. There has been some early talk about plans for “Avatar 6” and “Avatar 7,” so we’re likely looking at a long haul with the filmmaker continuing this cinematic journey.
“Avatar 3” is finished filming (currently in post-production) and is said to be introducing/exploring a new fire-based clan of Na’vi referred to as the “Ash People.” There have also been hints they might align themselves with the human/Recom forces led by RDA instead of with the Sully family and other more friendly Na’vi that have been willing to assist in the fight to protect Pandora. Potentially giving us some antagonist aliens other than the newly resurrected Miles Quaritch when the film releases on December 20, 2024.