James Cameron, director of the 2009 blockbuster hit Avatar, recently gave an update on the movie’s upcoming sequels. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Cameron touched upon a variety of topics ranging from the development process for the Avatar sequels to squashing concerns that the success of the original Avatar film was simply not a fluke. According to Cameron, “I’m in the process of doing another pass through all three scripts right now. Just refining. That’s in parallel with the design process. The design process is very mature at this point. We’ve been designing for about a year and a half. All the characters, settings and creatures are all pretty much [set].”
He continues by noting “Obviously, expectations are going to be very high on these films, especially on Avatar 2, to make sure it wasn’t just some big fluke the first time. So we’ve got to deliver. I’ve created a nice rod for my own back, so they say.”
Avatar, released in 2009, broke international box office records through garnering more than $2.7 billion world wide. In doing so, Cameron eclipsed the success of his Titanic which previously held the record for box office sales on a global scale. Avatar also received critical praise eventually earning 9 Oscar nominations. The film won 3 of its 9 nominations taking home the Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Visual Effects, and Best Achievement in Art Directions Oscars.
Avatar 2 is set to hit theaters in 2017 with the final two entries of the Avatar series to arrive shortly thereafter.
What are your thoughts on the upcoming Avatar sequels? Will Cameron be able to match his success, both financially and critically, with the final three films in the Avatar series? Let your thoughts be known through commenting below!