James Cameron long-promised that we’d see sequels to his 2009 sci-fi smash Avatar – and while it’s taking a long while to get there, he’s currently hard at work on four of them at the same time. With the first return journey to Pandora and its Na’vi inhabitants looming, here’s what you need to know about the Avatar sequels.
Who Is Directing Avatar 2?
Why, James Cameron himself, of course! He's on record as saying that the Avatar movies are essentially his life and career for the foreseeable future, and he's switched to acting as producer on Terminator: Dark Fate and Alita: Battle Angel _(_a long-planned pet project that reached cinemas in 2018 via Robert Rodriguez). Cameron is aiming to direct all four of the new Avatar movies, with two and three (plus elements of the others) shot simultaneously.
Who Else Is Making The Film?
Cameron put together a writers room that includes Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver and Shane Salerno contributing ideas and eventually assigned scripts for one of the movies (with Jaffa and Silver working together in their partnership). This will make for some interesting decisions on screenwriting credit given how involved Cameron has been.
A lot of the original Avatar crew are back for this one, which will include the usual boundary-pushing filmmaking technology that comes as standard with a James Cameron film. Among the new or expanded techniques is the use of performance capture in water and what the director promises is revolutionary 3D. The film is primarily being shot at Cameron's facility in Manhattan Beach California, but will also use locations in New Zealand.
What's The Plot of Avatar 2?
As of right now, James Cameron is aiming to keep that a mystery for the most part. We do know that we'll be seeing other tribes of the Na'vi and exploring some of Pandora's oceans. Plus, given that they've been cast (see below), we'll meet Jake and Neytiri's kids, who will drive a lot of the story. Cameron has talked about a story that connects through all four sequels, even as all four also tell their own narratives.
What Are The Avatar Sequels Called?
While they haven’t been confirmed officially by Cameron, strongly-rumoured titles for all four films have snuck online. Word has it that Avatar 2 will be Avatar: The Way Of Water, which certainly chimes with the underwater shooting, while its follow-up is probably titled Avatar: The Seed Bearer. The fourth and fifth films are expected to be named Avatar: The Tulkun Rider and Avatar: The Quest for Eywa. If you’ll remember from last time, Eywa is the name for the spiritual god of the Na’vi religion.
What Filmmaking Innovations Will Avatar 2 Bring?
Where the last Avatar was a giant step forward in motion capture and 3D, this time Cameron has combined that with his other favourite subject: the water. With the sequel(s) being largely set around Pandora's oceans, Cameron and his team have spent years perfecting underwater mo-cap – solving the immensely complex problems that come with tracking dots under the shifting light of water. It's a whole new world down there.
Which Avatar Cast Members Are Returning?
We can expect to see Sam Worthington as human-turned-full-time Na'vi avatar Jake Sully; Zoe Saldana as Neytiri, his native Na'vi better half; Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch (returning despite dying in the first film via "some sci-fi", according to Cameron); Sigourney Weaver in a new role, since her own character died in the original; Giovanni Ribisi as the resource-obsessed Parker Selfridge; Joel David Moore as Dr. Norm Spellman; Dileep Rao as Dr. Max Patel; CCH Pounder as Mo'at, Neytiri's mother; and Matt Gerald as Corporal Lyle Wainfleet, who like Quaritch will somehow return from the dead.
Who Are The New Characters In Avatar 2?
A raft of new actors are busy reporting for duty on the movie, including members of the other Na'vi tribes on Pandora. Cliff Curtis will be Tonowari, the leader of the reef people clan of Metkayina, overseeing the likes of Bailey Bass as Tsireya or "Reya", a free-diver of the clan; Filip Geljo as Aonung, a young male hunter and free-diver; and Duane Evans Jr. as Rotxo, a fellow hunter/diver. The casting that really pinged news radars was that of Kate Winslet, playing the Cameron-described "pivotal" character of free-diver Ronal.
Then there's the Jake/Neytiri family, with Jamie Flatters playing their eldest son, Neteyam, Britain Dalton as Lo'ak, their second son and Trinity Bliss as Tuktirey or "Tuk", their daughter. Outside the family unit, there is Jack Champion as Javier "Spider" Socorro, a teenager born on Hell's Gate (the human base on Pandora) who prefers to spend his time in the rainforest. Finally, we have Oona Chaplin's mysterious Varang, and David Thewlis playing an unknown character.
When Is Avatar 2 Being Released?
Frequently pushed back,__ Avatar 2 seems finally to have settled into a solid release date of 17 December 2021. That's a full twelve years between the first and second films, but better late than Na'vi. The delay is apparently for no more sinister a reason than Cameron perfecting tech that barely exists yet. Following that, Avatar and Star Wars will then spend alternate years dominating the Christmas box office; Avatar 3, 4 and 5 arrive in 2023, 2025 and 2027 respectively.