The box office record of the first Avatar outing has many wondering how the upcoming, long, long, long awaited sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, will measure up when compared to its predecessor. Director James Cameron has now discussed the box office prospects of the follow-up, revealing that he fully understands the risks inherent in releasing several sequels all these years later, even calling it “the dumbest business case in history.” Candidly, Cameron has accepted that the risk may not pay off.
"If we did 20 per cent or 30 per cent less because the market simply doesn't exist anymore, that would be bad.”
After all these years, Avatar: The Way of Water will need to re-establish the world of Pandora and reunite audiences with the characters therein. Speaking with Empire, Cameron believes that the sequel is more than capable of doing this. Despite the fact that many will have likely forgotten the details of the first outing.
"The trolls will have it that nobody gives a s*** and they can't remember the characters' names or one damn thing that happened in the movie ... Then they see the movie again and go, 'Oh okay, excuse me, let me just shut the f*** up right now.' So I'm not worried about that."
While Cameron is quick to manage expectations regarding what the financial success of Avatar: The Way of Water might look like, it’s impossible to deny that excitement surrounding the sequel is palpable. Many movie fans cannot wait to return to Pandora and see how James Cameron further evolves the world of Avatar. Cameron has proven time and again his affinity for delivering bigger and better sequels and, so far, Avatar: The Way of Water looks to be another masterful cinematic continuation.
Not to mention the lure of 3D, an element which has largely perished since the release of the first Avatar but could be reignited by Avatar 2. So, while Cameron is keeping box office aspirations in check, Avatar: The Way of Water possesses all the ingredients necessary to join its predecessor at the top of the box office leader board.
Avatar: The Way of Water is Due to Land in Theaters in December
Avatar: The Way of Water will bring back several of the heroes and villains from the first movie. Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, the sequel begins to tell the story of the Sully family, the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
Directed by James Cameron and produced by 20th Century Studios, Avatar: The Way of Water stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, Dileep Rao, CCH Pounder, Matt Gerald, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Michelle Yeoh, Jemaine Clement, Oona Chaplin, Vin Diesel, and CJ Jones.
Avatar: The Way of Water is due for release on December 16, 2022, with the following three sequels to be released, respectively, on December 20, 2024, December 18, 2026, and December 22, 2028.