Avatar quickly became the highest-grossing movie of all time when it was released in 2009, with a couple of recent re-releases helping to propel James Cameron's 3D sci-fi epic to a whopping $2.9 billion at the worldwide box office. That's a record it will be hard for any movie to top, though we're sure Disney is hoping Avatar: The Way of Water will come close.
The second and third movies were shot back-to-back, so whatever happens at the box office this December, we'll see a third chapter in the epic story Cameron is crafting.
Franchise producer Jon Landau recently took part in a press conference at the Busan International Film Festival, and revealed a surprising update on the future of the Avatar series beyond that threequel. "We’ve completed most of the first act of 'Avatar 4' and there were logistical reasons why we needed to do that," he told Variety (via SFFGazette.com).
"We’ve designed most of the whole movie for 'Avatar 4' but we haven’t actually filmed all of it - just the first act." So, the first act of Avatar 4 is done, while the rest of the movie isn't too far behind. That's pretty incredible, and we'd bet on Disney not wasting any time in moving forward with shooting that fourth chapter after the sequel is released later this year.
"With each sequel, we’re going to introduce audiences to new cultures and new biomes," Landau continued. "We don’t leave behind the cultures that we’ve met."
"As filmmakers, we have a responsibility to use our art form to challenge people to see things differently. And science fiction allows us the opportunity to be a metaphor for the world in which we live without preaching about it. Because if you preach, you only reach those who are already converted."
We shouldn't be shocked that Cameron has such big plans for the future, especially as all signs point to him devoting the rest of his filmmaking career to the Avatar franchise.
Avatar: The Way of Water arrives in theaters on December 14, while Avatar 4 is set to follow on December 20, 2024.