Seven years on, despite fierce competition from “Avengers,” “Star Wars” and other mega-franchises, James Cameron’s “Avatar” remains the top-grossing movie of all time worldwide, a record that seems likely to remain un-toppled for a long time. If it was any other filmmaker or studio, we’d likely have seen multiple sequels and spin-offs by this time, but after “Titanic” and the nearly three-billion dollar success of his sci-fi epic, Cameron hasn’t answered to anyone and has been taking his time with “Avatar 2” and other follow-ups.
The planned release schedule for the films has consistently slipped behind, with Cameron now saying he’s planning as many as four movies, but details remain otherwise under wraps. But with a Cirque Du Soleil show based on the franchise (!!!!!) debuting in Brooklyn, NY this week, Cameron spoke with Variety about the future of series.
READ MORE: The 50 Best Sci-Fi Films Of The 21st Century So Far
After saying that the tv show “Toruk” might have influenced some of the design elements to be unveiled in the sequels, Cameron tells the trade “The storyline in the sequels really follows Jake and Neytiri and their children. It’s more of a family saga about the struggle with the humans. But thematically, ‘Toruk,’ manages to land very closely to the feeling of where the sequel stories are going.”
As for a release date, Cameron says he’s still on track for December 2018 for the first sequel, but suggests that further delays aren’t impossible. “We haven’t moved that target yet, but we will if we need to. The important thing for me is not when the first one comes out, but the cadence of the release pattern. I want them to be released as close together as possible. If it’s an annual appointment to show up at Christmas, I want to make sure that we’re able to fulfill that promise.”
“Avatar” mania seems to have dipped into apathy in the years since release, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned over the last few decades, it’s not to bet against Cameron. Assuming all goes to plan, we’ll see “Avatar 2” around Christmas 2018, with annual follow-ups to follow.
