Prior to the release of Avatar: The way of the water, director James Cameron reveals that the franchise could change dramatically if the film underperforms at the box office. Released in 2009, the first Avatar introduced the audience to Pandora’s alien moon and Sam Worthington’s Jake Sully. The film follows Sully as he tries to infiltrate a community of Pandora’s native inhabitants, the Na’vi, but he soon joins forces with them against the human invaders. Avatar was a huge success at the box office and is currently the highest-grossing film of all time, with four sequels currently in development.
The first sequel, Avatar: The way of the water, will be released later this year, continuing the story of Jake, Ney’tiri (Zoe Saldana) and their children. Avatar 2 trailers have already teased the project’s highly impressive footage, with Cameron spending years developing cameras and motion capture technology that will bring the film’s underwater sequences to life. Avatar: The way of the water Set 14 years after the events of the original film, it follows Jake and Ney’tiri as they try to keep their family together after the emergence of a new threat. Avatar 3 is already in post-production and producer Jon Landau recently revealed that filming on Avatar 4 has already come surprisingly far.
In a recent interview with Total Film Magazine (through /Movie), director James Cameron explains how the franchise plan will change if Avatar: The way of the water bombs at the cash register. although Avatar is expected to get a total of four sequels, the director reveals Avatar 3 could be turned into a franchise claim if the second film underperforms. Watch Cameron’s full commentary below:
“The market might tell us we’ll be done in three months, or we’ll be half done, which means, ‘Okay, let’s finish the story in movie three, and don’t go on forever,’ if it’s just not profitable. “We’re in a different world now than when I wrote this stuff, even. It’s the one-two punch – the pandemic and streaming. Or, conversely, maybe we’ll remind people what going to the theater is all about. This movie does The question is, how many people give as*** now?”
Why Avatar 2 probably won’t be a blockbuster
Early box office projections for Avatar: The way of the water have already predicted that the upcoming film will earn $650 million domestically, which is slightly less than the original film, but still an impressive number. While the Avatar sequels still remain a financial risk, the recent reissue of Avatar proved very popular at the box office, suggesting that audience interest in the franchise is still high despite the 13 years that have passed since the original film. The box office projections also do not take into account foreign performances, with the original Avatar perform well in other markets, especially China.
Cameron’s comment confirms that franchise fans will at least get Avatar 3 regardless of how well the upcoming sequel performs. With hits like The Terminator, Aliensand Titanic under his belt, Cameron has consistently proven that as a filmmaker, he should not be underestimated, which means Avatar: The way of the water was able to defy expectations and exceed the box office projections. While the evolved theatrical landscape means: Avatar: The way of the water almost certainly won’t reach the box office heights of the original film, there’s still good reason to expect Cameron’s contingency plan might not be necessary.
Source: Total Film Magazine (via /Movie)
