Home ›› 16 Dec 2021 ›› Show Biz
James Cameron is slowly teasing what we can expect from the first of four planned sequels to 2009’s motion capture powerhouse adventure Avatar. In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cameron talked about what motivated him to shoot ‘Avatar 2’ the way he did, his expectations for the next installments, released some behind-the-scenes photos and images for the project that has been years in the making.
One of the few pieces of information that has been released recently is that ‘Avatar 2’ will take place mostly underwater, which, in terms of production, means that cast and crew had to take extensive diving lessons and new technology had to be developed in order to better develop underwater motion capture.
For his other record-breaking film, 1997’s ‘Titanic’, Cameron also had no holds barred when it came to mimicking the ocean – he put Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, and the cast and crew of the now-classic love story inside a 17-million-gallon tank.
Now, some behind-the-scenes photos reveal the amount of work put into filming, as well as providing a first-look into ‘Avatar 2’, which features the new reef-dwelling Na’vi race - the Metkayina - at home by the water and riding on reptile-like water creatures. By the looks of the images, it sure seems like 20th Century Studios is sparing no expense during production, but it’s no surprise: back in 2009, Avatar made history as it grossed over $2 billion and took the highest-grossing film top spot from Cameron’s ‘Titanic’. Now, however, repeating this feat might prove difficult since the world has changed in many ways, the 3D-viewing experience trend that Avatar brought back is no longer a thing and Covid has taught studios to adjust their expectations, gross-wise.
Avatar 2 is set to take place 14 years after Avatar, with Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) having settled down and standing aside for their kids’ first adventure. The movie will see the return of Sigourney Weaver (in an undisclosed capacity) and introduce Winslet as Ronal, one of the members of the new Na’vi race.
After many delays, ‘Avatar 2’ is set to premiere on December 16, 2022.
The other three sequels are set to premiere every two years, in 2024, 2026 and 2028.
