After over a decade of waiting, the Avatar sequels will start rolling out in the coming years, beginning with The Way of Water this December. With five movies set, James Cameron may not direct the final two Avatar movies, as he said in an interview with Empire magazine.
“The Avatar films themselves are kind of all-consuming,” the filmmaker said. “I’ve got some other things I’m developing as well that are exciting. I think eventually over time – I don’t know if that’s after three or after four – I’ll want to pass the baton to a director that I trust to take over, so I can go do some other stuff that I’m also interested in. Or maybe not. I don’t know.”
It will not be a first if James Cameron gives the reigns to someone for Avatar four or five. He was attached but did not helm Alita: Battle Angel. While serving as executive producer and co-writer, the directing went to Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series). So, it would be possible to see someone else take over the series of sci-fi epics.
James Cameron on Avatar Sequels
Several factors go into whether or not someone can make a movie, especially when they want to make this many follow-ups to complete a story. James Cameron spoke about Avatar in terms of its themes and meaning to him as a person and filmmaker while going into how much he hopes he can get four and five made. Three is secured, but it is not confirmed if the world will get a fourth and fifth installment.
“Everything I need to say about family, about sustainability, about climate, about the natural world, the themes that are important to me in real life and in my cinematic life, I can say on this canvas,” he said. “I got more excited as I went along. Movie four is a corker. It’s a motherf—–. I actually hope I get to make it. But it depends on market forces. Three is in the can so it’s coming out regardless. I really hope that we get to make four and five because it’s one big story, ultimately.”
The Way of Water is releasing on December 16th in theaters. To set up for the James Cameron Avatar sequel will be a remastered rerelease of the original film on September 23rd. So, the box office for 2022 should be a major one for the director, who already has top billing in the highest-grossing movies of all time with the first film of the series and Titanic, which will also be remastered and put back in theaters at the start of next year. The third is not announced, but it is greenlit to happen as it is expected to hit theaters in December 2024.