When Avatar came out over seven years ago now, the movie was a huge hit for James Cameron, mostly because it was the first big budget movie that really proved what 3D technology could do on the big screen. It wowed us with its nature-oriented plotline set in lush world of Pandora, which featured otherworldly plant and tree life. Now, however, a lot of movies look just as lush on the big screen, prompting some fans to wonder whether or not there will be interest in a sequel like Avatar 2 once it eventually comes out. However, James Cameron would like to put those thoughts to rest. Speaking out at the opening of Pandora in Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom, the director explained why he really isn't worried about the big time gap. He said:
It was a seven-year gap between The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, seven year gap between Alien and Aliens. It's gonna be obviously more like a ten year gap between Avatar and Avatar 2. But Avatar 2 you are going to with not the promise, but the certainty of three more films beyond that, and that's a very different concept with the audience. And a lot of the delay has been around creating that overall vision.
We've known for a long time that 20th Century Fox has a slew of Avatar features in the works. Rather than simply planning Avatar 2, they've let James Cameron and Co's minds run wild, and four more sequels are actually in the works. From what the director told CNN, he's not remotely concerned about the span of time between movies, as he himself has made movies pretty far apart in the past, including Terminator and Terminator 2. The thing I think Avatar fans should really take out of his comment is James Cameron's confidence, which seems to run really deep with this franchise. He seems to think that a lot of details had to be worked out to make four more movies work, and he seems confident with his vision. That's the positive.
The reason a lot of people keep questioning the Avatar franchise simply has to do with the number of times Avatar 2 has been pushed back, now. At one point, we were supposed to have the movie in 2017, and then in December of 2018. Next, Avatar 2 got pushed back to 2020, which will mean that when the next movie comes out it will be more than a decade after the original. (The final movie is expected in 2025.) That's a long time to wait to return to characters like Jake Scully and Neytiri, not to mention introduce new characters. And only time will tell if box office audiences will bite.
It should be noted that this weekend Disney put out the long-awaited next movie in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. While it wasn't a slam dunk, the movie has done well in its first weekend at bat, proving that movies can go years without a sequel and still do well. We'll keep you updated regarding Avatar 2 as that movie eventually gets closer and closer to its release date.
