The next Avatar film, Avatar: The Way Of Water, is only a few months away and its follow up is set for 2024, and director James Cameron already has big plans for the next two. Unfortunately, he might not be the one who directs them.
Speaking to Empire, Cameron says, “The Avatar films themselves are kind of all-consuming. 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.”
Cameron’s passion for the films and the worlds he has created is undeniable. “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,” Cameron continues. “I got more excited as I went along. Movie four is a corker. It’s a motherf**ker. I actually hope I get to make it.”
Only time will tell if Cameron will dedicate even more of his time to the world he’s so lovingly crafted. His dedication has been felt through both the story and on the technical side of things where he’s mastered the challenge of underwater motion capture.
Despite the length of time that’s passed since the first movie was released, fans seem eager for part two. The trailer that was released in May had more views in 24 hours than all the most recent Star Wars films.
Avatar: The Way Of Water releases 13 years after the original on December 16, 2022. It follows Jake Sully and Ney'tiri who have formed a family they’ll do anything to keep together. Gamers also have Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, a first-person open-world action-adventure video game adaptation from Ubisoft, to look forward to.
Casey is a freelance writer for IGN. You can usually find him talking about JRPGs on Twitter at @caseydavidmt.