How many franchises can one person collect? New star Chris Pratt will certainly have it rough in the next couple of years, as Jurassic World will be coming out in 2015 and he'll be expected back for Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 in 2017. But what about Zoe Saldana, Pratt's Guardians of the Galaxy co-star? Not only is she returning to the Marvel universe, she's also expected back for both Star Trek 3, and Avatar 2 (which will be the first of a couple of sequels). Obviously she has a lot going on, but which of those projects is next up on her radar?
Vulture recently spoke to Zoe Saldana at a Guardians Of The Galaxy screening and took the opportunity to ask her how her blockbuster-filled schedule all make sense going forward. After humorously blaming her agent , she revealed which of her upcoming sci-fi properties will be getting her attention next:
"I do know that Avatar is coming first. It's been the one in line for a while now, and we're just waiting for Jim to give us the green light so it can happen early next year. My backpack is ready!"
You cannot get away from Avatar. Even if James Cameron were to somehow kill Saldana's Neytiri, she could easily be brought back to life - because James Cameron is never done with you. This Avatar thing is a runaway train! Now, while it will take a long time to finish the effects of Avatar 2 and its sequels, Saldana will only be filming motion-capture stuff, which shouldn't be as time-consuming as a full-on shoot. That said, this is THREE straight movies being made by the perfectionist Cameron. This could definitely take a while, particularly considering Avatar 2 hits during the holiday season in 2016, and Saldana might be called back to do reshoots anytime before or after then.
After her return to Pandora for Avatar 2 3 and 4, Star Trek 3 would be logically next - but that film doesn't have a release date, and Paramount Pictures reportedly remains a bit wishy-washy about their new director of choice, Roberto Orci. Marvel has known to be persnickety about schedules and contracts, so is it possible that they could nab her first? Given that the Star Trek films don't really give her Uhura much to do, is there a possibility a schedule impasse results in Saldana surrendering her seat on the Enterprise? Certainly stranger things have happened.
The super-busy Saldana also has two more movies slated for release this year. Next she will be saddling up with fellow Marvel employee Mark Ruffalo in Indefinitely Polar Bear, which, if you couldn't guess from the title (how could you?), is a small indie film. She also might earn some Oscar talk for Nina, where she plays the famous songstress Nina Simone. Her casting in that flick created some controversy initially due to Saldana's features, which are significantly lighter than Ms. Simone's. Hey, industry: Zoe Saldana is a gorgeous woman. Could we find her a role where she isn't caked in ridiculous makeup or obscured by special effects? Just a thought.
