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James Cameron is a visionary filmmaker who is known for pushing the boundaries of technology and cinematography. Hits like Titanic and Avatar broke new ground in regards to visual effects, both becoming the highest grossing movie of all time after their release. Cameron has plans for the latter movie to become a five-film franchise, starting with Avatar 2 coming out next year. A ton of newcomers are joining the franchise in these sequels, including Harry Potter alum David Thewlis. Although he's recently clarified exactly which sequels he'll appear in.
The wait for Avatar's sequels have been a long time coming, but James Cameron has finally start filming the follow-ups to his 2009 hit. The director is reportedly working on multiple sequels at once, filming any live-action and motion-capture before the extensive work on visual effects begins. While all signs pointed at David Thewlis making his Pandora debut in Avatar 2, it turns out we might have to wait even longer for Remus Lupin to become a Na'vi. As he explained,
Well, nothing could be more different than Avatar. It completely doesn’t resemble anything that I’ve ever done. I should be clear, by the way, cause I know that a magazine in Britain has got me in Avatar 2, but I’m not in Avatar 2. I’m going to be in Avatar 3, which was shot at the same time as Avatar 2, and the plan is that I will be in Avatar 4 and 5, as well. I just wanted to clear that up because somebody got that wrong recently.
Well, that certainly does clear things up. Because despite already going to work to film his mysterious Avatar role, we shouldn't expect David Thewlis to pop up in the first sequel next December. Instead, he'll seemingly be saved for the three final installments in the franchise.
David Thewlis's comments to Collider may be a bit disappointing for Harry Potter fans who were giddy to see the actor appear in another massive franchise. Thewlis has been one of the more chatty members of the cast, revealing that he's playing an unnamed Na'vi character through motion-capture. He's also been open about the strange process that comes with filming mo-cap, something he'll have to get used to when filming 3 different installments in the Avatar franchise.
Avatar fans can re-watch the original movie on Disney+. You can use this link for a free 7-day trial to the streaming service.
James Cameron clearly has a massive vision for the Avatar franchise, spanning a whopping 4 more movies. While it's been a long wait for Avatar 2 to get to theaters, moviegoers do seem eager to return to Pandora and its characters. While Disney parks helped to keep interest in the property alive, it's been over 10 years since the first Avatar arrived in theaters.
I'm eager to see how Avatar 2 performs at the box office, given the long gap between movies. If it doesn't end up the record breaking success of the first movie, could James Cameron's plans for a five-film arc end before it begins? Only time will tell.
Avatar 2 is currently set to arrive in theaters on December 17th, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
