Following the release of Avatar in 2009, audiences have been patiently waiting for the sequels, which were initially announced in 2010. At the time, Cameron aimed for a 2014 release date, however, the addition of three more sequels and the need for newer technology led to significant delays. Nevertheless, the idea for a multi-film story was always the plan for the director, who didn't want to release sequel after sequel with no end in sight. Cameron recently spoke to Empire Magazine to elaborate on his thought process about the Avatar sequels.
"What I said to Fox regime at the time was, 'I'll do it, but we've got to play a larger game here. I don't want to just do a movie and do a movie and do a movie. I want to tell a bigger story.' I said, 'Imagine a series of novels like The Lord of the Rings existed, and we're adapting them.' Now that was great in theory, but then I had to create the fricken' novels from which to adapt it."
This was a monumental task for the director, as there are plans for three more sequels following the December release of Way of Water culminating with an untitled Avatar 5 film in 2028. In addition, the franchise shares several other similarities to Peter Jackson's trilogy, filming the Avatar sequels back-to-back in a lengthy shoot that began in 2017. Avatar 3 is expected to hit theaters sometime in 2024. This is a drastic change, as it's been over a decade since the original film. However, fans of the world of Pandora won't have to wait much longer, with Avatar: The Way of Water releasing in theaters on Dec. 16th.
What Can We Expect From the Long-Awaited Sequel?
Avatar featured fantastic world-building, the likes of which compared to Star Wars, Game of Thrones, or The Lord of the Rings. The history of Pandora is rich within the Na'vi tribes, and audiences should expect that Cameron will expand upon the world in the sequel. We can tell from the trailers that The Way of Water will feature an unseen location, with different tribes and creatures appearing throughout the film. The official synopsis for the film reads:
Jake Sully lives with his newfound family formed on the planet of Pandora. Once a familiar threat returns to finish what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri and the army of the Na'vi race to protect their planet.
Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana, Giovanni Ribisi, and Stephen Lang are all returning to their roles, with the addition of Kate Winslet, Michelle Yeoh, Cliff Curtis, and Jermaine Clement joining the cast. James Cameron wrote, directed, and produced the film along with Jon Landau. Peter Tobyansen and David Valdes are executive producers.
If you want to refresh your memory before watching The Way of Water this December, Avatar is re-releasing in theaters on Sept. 23rd. In addition, you can watch the trailer for the upcoming sequel below.