The Wait
More than a decade has passed since Avatar was at the pinnacle of pop-culture, but Cameron has been keeping himself busy. In fact, he hasn’t just been filming one sequel, he’s been filming two (with another two well on the way). Here’s a few reasons for the long development process… For the original Avatar, Cameron had to invent a lot of the technology needed to bring the rich and vibrant world of Pandora to life. It’s much the same story this time round, as Cameron and his team were faced with the task of making the technology work underwater, where much of Avatar 2 will take place. Another reason for the constant delays is the simultaneous filming of the sequels, instead of filming them one by one. This means that Cameron had to write and produce all four movies before the next installment could even be released. Throw this together with Cameron’s perfectionism, plus Disney’s takeover of Fox, and we’ll be lucky if we see these movies at all!
Concept art showing a new region of Pandora
The Sequel
So when can we expect to lay our eyes on Avatar 2? According to Disney, the film will hit cinemas globally in December 2021, with another Avatar movie being released every 2 years after that. Here’s everything we know about Avatar 2 so far: Somewhat coincidentally, Avatar 2 will take place 10 years after the original and will follow Jake Sully as he once again clashes with the humans that want to tear apart his new home. The primary setting of the film will be Pandora’s ocean, where Jake will encounter another tribe of Na’vi. This explains why Cameron poured so much time into perfecting underwater motion-capture, why many of the actors reported having to learn free-diving, and why one of the potential names for the movie is ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’. According to Cameron, Avatar 2 will be a family saga, following Jake (now the high-chieftain) as well as his partner and children. Given that 7 child actors have already been cast, it’s safe to say that Jake’s family will be a big one, and that family will be a major theme throughout the saga. Cameron has also commented that whilst each film offers a standalone experience, they will all connect to form the bigger picture. Original cast members Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang will return, along with some new faces in Edie Falco and Kate Winslet (reuniting with Cameron for the first time since Titanic). Filming will take primarily in New Zealand and Cameron says that the visual effects will be like nothing we’ve ever seen before. Given the fact that Avatar still looks jaw-droppingly gorgeous by today’s standards, it’s hard to doubt the man.
Are you excited to head back to Pandora? Check out more of the newly released concept art at @officialavatar
Image credits: Official Avatar Twitter
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