James Cameron has spent the better part of 13 years developing his Avatar sequels, putting a lot more time, energy, and money into films that people haven’t talked about much. But it’s clear he has a passion for it and is determined to match the incredible box office heights of the original, a true groundbreaker when it comes to visual effects technology. But that is still a very long time to commit, and while we know he’s finished shooting the next two films, there are still two more after them, and Cameron might be ready for a breather.
Speaking with Empire, Cameron pitched the idea of passing the torch to another filmmaker for Avatar 4 or possibly 5…
“The Avatar films themselves are kind of all-consuming. I’ve got some other things I’m developing as well that are exciting. I think eventually over time – I don’t know if that’s after three or after four – I’ll want to pass the baton to a director that I trust to take over, so I can go do some other stuff that I’m also interested in. Or maybe not. I don’t know.”
“All-consuming” is right. It’s worth remembering that Cameron was going to direct Alita: Battle Angel but had to give it up to Robert Rodriguez because Avatar sequels just took all of his attention.
I actually think this could be a good idea. I cringed when Peter Jackson returned to direct the Hobbit films because I felt that world needed a fresh set of eyes. After three or four Avatar movies by the same director, this franchise will likely need a visual reboot and some new creative energy.
Avatar: The Way of Water arrives on December 16th, while Avatar 3 arrives December 20th 2024. The final two films won’t debut until 2026 and 2028.
