If there is one franchise that is consistently puzzling, its James Cameron's Avatar. The 2009 film brought in an insane amount of money at the box office, and was praised for being a visual masterpiece that challenged the world of motion capture and CGI rendering. And while there have always been plans for sequels, the films have been pushed back time and time again. Cameron still plans to produce four more Avatar films, and now actress Sigourney Weaver has come to the franchise's defense, while also teasing what to expect from the upcoming sequels- if they ever get here.
Sigourney Weaver recently spoke to EW about the current state of the Avatar sequels, which are apparently filming simultaneously. It's here where she (vaguely) reveals why there needs four more films, and what theme will drive the narrative of the franchise. She said,
There's a very good reason why it turned out to be four sequels. Having read all four of them, I think they're absolutely extraordinary and worth the wait. These films are very much about the peril of this beautiful planet, and [Cameron] is continuing the same themes of greed and callousness of the corporations and plight of the indigenous people.
It looks like Avatar's thrilling battle against Stephen Lang's Colonel Quartich and his forces is just the tip of the iceberg, and Pandora is still very much in danger. While it's still unclear how the plot of the franchise will be covered over the course of four more films, Sigourney Weaver certainly seems to have faith in James Cameron's vision.
Avatar is set in a future where the Earth has been depleted of its natural resources, with the planet in the midst of a severe energy crisis. The only thing that could help is the mineral unobtanium, which happens to exist on Pandora. So while Jake and his buddies managed to fight off the attack in the first film, smart money says that Earth's troops will be back with a vengeance.
It's a bit of a relief that Sigourney Weaver addressed the long wait that Avatar fans have been enduring for its eventual sequel. The second film was supposed to originally be released in 2018, but James Cameron and company have delayed its production a multitude of times. So while Avatar was one of the best selling films in recent memory, the positive buzz and excitement for the world of Pandora has simmered quite a bit in the following years. The next film will have to deliver in spades if another three movies are expected to follow, so the pressure is on James Cameron.
Avatar 2 is currently slated to be released sometime in 2020, with the following films coming out in 2021, 2024, and 2025. But if these dates changes once again, I doubt anyone would be surprised. In the meantime, check out our 2017 release list to see which movies will actually be out this year.
