Features and Columns

A Brief History Of Those Avatar Sequels That Are Totally Happening

By  · Published on June 12th, 2015

20th Century Fox

There has never been a film like James Cameron’s Avatar. Winner of three Oscars, the highest-grossing film of all-time, a breakthrough 3D adventure, the film made more money than any other film ever (including Cameron’s own Titanic) and helped convince the moviegoing public that 3D was a viable addition to blockbuster filmmaking. And then everybody stopped caring about it.

Well, except for James Cameron, who is convinced that what the world really wants – really needs — is not just one Avatar sequel, not even two, but three. If only these things could get made, though. Fire up your sex-braids, hop on a dragon-thing, and journey back to Pandora with us. It’s where we all belong (right, James? did I do good? is my family going to be okay?).

December 2009 – Avatar is released. Neil likes it.

December 2009, later – the film opens to $73 million in domestic returns.

January 2010 – the 2009 box office closes out with Avatar on top.

January 2010, later – Avatar beats the worldwide record.

January 2010, even more later – Avatar becomes the first film to earn $2 billion.

February 2010 – after its boffo box office performance, sequels for the film seem overwhelmingly imminent.

February 2010, later – Dear John finally ends Avatar’s weeks-long box office domination. :(

March 2010 – Avatar wins three Oscars, but loses Best Picture to The Hurt Locker.

April 2010 – Cameron implies that a sequel will be focused on the oceans of Pandora, while a third film (a third!?) could expand further out into his planned galaxy.

April 2010, later – despite lackluster special features, the Avatar Blu-ray becomes the best-selling Blu-ray ever. Another win!

August 2010 – Cameron more clearly implies that he wants to make at least two sequels.

October 2010 – Cameron talks about “future-proofing” the sequels.

June 2011 – Cameron says he is filming the two sequels back-t0-back and the trilogy will complete a “character arc.”

September 2011 – Cameron says he may film in 60fps.

May 2012 – Cameron says there might be three Avatar sequels.

June 2012 – Cameron says he’s filming all three sequels at once.

September 2012 – Cameron says that Avatar 4 could be a prequel.

August 2013 – Deadline reports that the Avatar sequels will arrive in 2014, 2015, and 2016.

October 2013 – Stephen Lang is somehow lined up to return for all three sequels.

2014 – no new Avatar film.

January 2014 – Deadline reports that Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana will return for the sequels.

June 2014 – Sigourney Weaver is also believed to be returning.

November 2014 – Cameron tells Empire that the films will be “bitchin.” He also claims “you will shit yourself with your mouth wide open.”

2015 – no new Avatar film.

January 2015 – Deadline reports that the sequels are officially pushed back to 2017, 2018, and 2019.

June 2015Variety reports that 20th Century Fox chairman and CEO Jim Gianopolus explains that Cameron “has his own face.”

2016 – no new Avatar film.

2017 – …

This is just a really long time to prepare for shitting one’s self with one’s mouth wide open, bitchin’ promises or not.

Related Topics: ,