There was a time prior to the release of Avatar: The Way of Water when fans and film critics were unsure of the sequel's box office potential after so many years had passed after the original film.
Even filmmaker James Cameron seemingly acknowledged those same concerns, openly stating that if The Way of Water failed, he would not have to worry about Avatar 4 or 5.
Well, Avatar: The Way of Water grossed $2.32 billion globally, surpassing the $2 billion mark set by the original 2009 picture.
With the sequel's box office success in his back pocket, Cameron is clearly feeling more confident these days, as he recently announced that he is starting to develop ideas for a sixth and seventh installment in the franchise.
Speaking to Collider, Cameron stated, "We're fully written through movie five, and I've got ideas for six and seven, although I'll probably be handing the baton on at that point. I mean, mortality catches up. But I mean, we're enjoying what we're doing. We're loving it. We get to work with great people."
The site went on to add that Cameron told them that he views Avatar as a franchise that can continue to expand over the years, much the same way that George Lucas and Gene Roddenberry watched Star Wars and Star Trek expand beyond their initial conception.
More recently, franchise star Sam Worthington revealed that filming on Avatar 3 and 4 would resume at some point during this month. While the majority of filming will be devoted to the fourth film (the bulk of Avatar 3 was filmed alongside The Way of Water), there are still some additional scenes to film for Avatar 3.
It has been previously teased that the fourth film will see the franchise return to that universe's version of Earth.
The Avatar franchise stars Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri, Sigourney Weaver as Kiri/Dr. Grace Augustine, Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch, Kate Winslet as Ronal, Cliff Curtis as Tonowari, CCH Pounder as Mo'at, Britain Dalton as Lo'ak te, Jamie Flatters as Neteyam, Edie Falco as General Frances Ardmore.
New additions to the franchise for the third installment include Oona Chaplin, Michelle Yeoh, and David Thewlis and the introduction of a new aggressive volcanic tribe of Ash Na’vi.
Barring any delays, Avatar 3 will arrive in theaters on December 19, 2025 while Avatar 4 currently has a December 21, 2029 release date.