In a recent interview with Empire, Avatar: The Way of Water filmmaker James Cameron opened up about the future of the sci-fi action franchise, confirming that he might not be directing the last two planned Avatar sequels. Cameron went on to reveal that for Avatar 4 and 5, he’s planning to “pass the baton” to another filmmaker in order to shift his focus to other projects that he’s also currently developing.
“The Avatar films themselves are kind of all-consuming,” Cameron said. “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.”
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However, despite the possibility of him not taking the director’s chair for the last two sequels, Cameron still expressed his excitement for what he has in store for Avatar 4.
“Movie four is a corker. It’s a motherfucker. I actually hope I get to make it. But it depends on market forces. Three is in the can so it’s coming out regardless. I really hope that we get to make four and five because it’s one big story, ultimately.”
The sequel is directed and co-written by James Cameron. It features the return of Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Joel David Moore, Dileep Rao, Stephen Lang, Matt Gerald, and Sigourney Weaver. Additional cast members include Kate Winslet, Edie Falco, Michelle Yeoh, Vin Diesel, Jemaine Clement, and Oona Chaplin, alongside a slate of young actors.
“Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, Avatar: The Way of Water begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure,” says the official synopsis.
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Currently, Avatar 2 is set to be released on December 16, 2022, after being pushed back a handful of times. Following that are three additional films, with Avatar 3 tentatively scheduled for December 20, 2024, Avatar 4 set for December 18, 2026, and Avatar 5 on December 22, 2028.
