Fox announced Wednesday morning that “Avatar 2” and “Avatar 3,” the sequels to last year’s science-fiction blockbuster, will be
2011. Production on “Avatar 2” could begin as soon as late ’11, with
the movie likely in theaters in
Although it was widely believed that Cameron had
many ideas for “Avatar 2” and wanted to begin work on it shortly, the
fact that it would be his priority — and that the studio was planning
on a third film as well — represents a major development. With his
heavily developed story lines and intensive use of new technology,
Cameron can often take a decade or longer between films.
Fox said in its announcement that Cameron has not
made a decision about whether to shoot the two films back to back but
that he well could, which would allow “Avatar 3” to come out as early
as
There was little detail about the plot for the new movies. “Avatar” ended with Jake (
Cameron did say in a statement that the movies “will
be self-contained stories that also fulfill a greater story arc” and
that “we will not back off the throttle of ‘Avatar’s’ visual and
emotional horsepower and will continue to explore its themes and
characters.”
It’s also not known how many of the original cast
members will return, though it is all but assured both movies will be
in 3-D. Cameron’s writing partners also remain a question;
The original “Avatar,” which came out in December and played through the winter, was a global phenomenon that grossed about
worldwide. Cameron’s work will also be coming back to the big screen
with a 3-D rerelease of “Titanic,” which is expected to hit theaters in
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