'Avatar 2' Update, Spoilers: What James Cameron Plans If Sequel Fails
In what is considered the biggest and most challenging feat in his career, director James Cameron is simultaneously working on "Avatar 2" and the three other sequels.
Many thought it was a bad idea since there is no guarantee that the first film will be a success despite the 2009 original being a runaway hit. But no one had to tell Cameron that.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, he revealed what could happen to the franchise if "Avatar 2" and "Avatar 3" fail to perform as expected:
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Let's face it, if "Avatar 2 and 3" don't make enough money, there's not going to be a 4 and 5. They're fully encapsulated stories in and of themselves. It builds across the five films to a greater kind of meta narrative, but they're fully formed films in their own right, unlike, say, "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, where you really just had to sort of go, "Oh, s—t, all right, well I guess I better come back next year." Even though that all worked and everybody did.
From the looks of it, Cameron structured "Avatar 2" and "Avatar 3" with an air of finality to the stories so that if Fox decides not push through with the rest, fans will not be plagued with unanswered questions.
This suggests that "Avatar 2" might not have a cliff-hanger, but it will be the beginning of a larger, more epic story that Cameron hopes to share in its entirety across four films.
It is expected that "Avatar 2" will be a blockbuster success either way since it is the direct follow-up to the original that millions of moviegoers loved and wanted to see more of. At this point, the long wait just builds the excitement more than anything.
For instance, "The Incredibles 2" was a years-in-the-making sequel. The first film came out 13 years ago, but the minute a teaser for the sequel dropped, the hype just awakens, which goes to show that the support was always there.
It is likely going to be the same with "Avatar 2." Cameron's biggest hurdle is making sure that the wait is worth it.
"Avatar 2" will be released on Dec. 18, 2020.
