Avatar 2: Why James Cameron Is Making So Many Sequels
With four Avatar movies set to release over the next decade, why is James Cameron making so many sequels to his 2009 blockbuster? Love it or hate it, Avatar is an integral part of cinematic history. The divisive tale of the Na'vi and the greedy futuristic humans trying to bulldoze their home became the highest-grossing movie of all time in 2009, overtaking Cameron's own Titanic record. Avatar's visuals and technical achievements blew audiences away, and the film remains the best example of 3-D cinema to date, however, opinion has soured in more recent years with regards to Avatar's plot and moral leanings.
Talk of a sequel began even before the blue tree-huggers hit the big screen, and work on an Avatar 2 was officially confirmed shortly after. As with the first movie, James Cameron has been painstakingly realizing his creative vision and waiting for technology to catch up with his imagination, causing over a decade to pass without a continuation of the Avatar story. Given Avatar's box office domination, the initial sequel announcement was far from surprising. The fact that James Cameron is once again taking his sweet time is also not at all shocking. The real eyebrow-raiser is that a grand total of four Avatar sequels have been announced, all of which are currently in various stages of production.
Even for a wildly successful movie with major franchise potential like Avatar, this is an unprecedented move. As much as they might generate a pretty penny, the Avatar movies are also incredibly expensive to make, reportedly costing around $1 billion for the lot (via Deadline). To commit to four movies in one hit is incredibly ambitious, regardless of the record-breaking debut effort on which to build upon.
The quartet of Avatar sequels in development perhaps emphasizes just how much money the original movie made, striking big in domestic and international markets, as well as benefiting from considerable word of mouth. The sequels arguably have even more financial promise. Aside from the standard box office, there's the inflated 3-D prices, streaming potential and considerable merchandising opportunities. Furthermore, the original Avatar did big numbers in China - a territory that has expanded massively since 2009. Even costing $1 billion across the 4 films, Avatar 2 alone could easily recoup that outlay.
But the most likely reason behind Fox's faith in Avatar is James Cameron himself. With Titanic and Avatar behind him, Cameron surely had considerable influence over the future of his magnum opus, and if a 5-film arc is what the director had in mind, it'd take a brave studio to not at least entertain his idea. Regardless of the expense and risk involved, Avatar is a coveted property, not just for being lucrative, but also for its prestige and technological advancement. No other franchise boasts quite the same allure, even the mighty MCU.
Aside from the business side of why four Avatar sequels are being made, there's also a creative dimension to consider. Most directors balk at the idea of making one sequel and risking the integrity of their original, let alone lining up an entire quartet. Avatar is not most films, and James Cameron is not most directors. Cameron started developing the concept of Avatar even before setting sail on the HMS Titanic, spending years designing the planet, the people and the language. According to the man himself, the 2009 Avatar movie was only the tip of a much larger iceberg, and back in 2012, Cameron claimed he was "in the Avatar business" rather than the movie business. So many filmmakers have an epic vision that studios are unwilling to invest in, whereas James Cameron holds the influence and cinematic pedigree to make the unfulfilled dream of many directors a reality.