The sequel to the most successful film in history “Avatar” has been pushed back from a December 2017 play date to a December 2018 release date.
The decision was apparently an offshoot of the move of Disney and Lucasfilms to move the showing of its “Star Wars” films from the Memorial Day weekend in May to December starting with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” film in December of last year.
The movie has gone on to become the third highest-grossing film of all time next only to “Avatar” and “Titanic,” both by James Cameron.
A “Star Wars” spinoff movie will be aired this coming December entitled “Star Wars: Rogue One” before “Star Wars: Episode 8” will be aired in December next year.
Had “Avatar 2” stick to its plan of releasing also in December next year, the two blockbuster movies will certainly clash at the box office and regardless of whoever wins, the results of the other already shall have a telling impact on the other as far as the race to make it to the list of highest-grossing movies of all time is concerned.
Expanding the Avatar cinematic universe
It was only during the CinemaCon held early last month when James Cameron himself confirmed in public that there shall not only be three but four sequels to “Avatar.”
Last year, the reports were saying that the critically-acclaimed producer and director was having trouble reducing the script to fit into three movies.
Apparently, he has changed his mind. Instead of working to reduce the script, Cameron decided to add another film to the franchise, thus, there is also going to be an “Avatar 5.”
In a statement during the event, Cameron said that he and the production team have decided to embark on a truly massive cinematic process because the three sequels simply were not enough to tell the full story, notes Enstarz.
He added that they have begun to bump up against the limitations to their art form. He explained that based on the kind of artwork he is seeing, it is all based on pure imagination and are really far beyond the first film so much so that he promised that “Avatar 2” and the three other sequels will be an epic saga.
Cameron also promised that they are going to continue to make the industry the greatest show on earth because that is what they are meant to do in the first place.
“Avatar 2,” “Avatar 3,” “Avatar 4,” and “Avatar 5” shall be released in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2023, respectively.
Planning the release dates well
As it is, the initial plan of 20th Century Fox is to release “Avatar 2” during Christmas of 2018, but if a “Star Wars” movie will be airing on the same date, it is possible that a push-back of the “Avatar” may again be in the offing.
“Avatar 3” is due to hit theaters in Christmas of 2020, with the fourth being released in Christmas 2022 and the fifth a year later, around Christmas 2023, reports Polygon.
Although Cameron did not say why he specifically does not want to go head-to-head with any of the “Star Wars’ sequels, it seems that he and Disney have come to a special agreement.
This has become apparent when he also announced during the recent CinemaCon that Disney has given the franchise a new theme park called “Pandora: The World of Avatar,” which is going to be part of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
In addition to the objective of entertaining kids, the theme park is also meant to make people remember what “Avatar” is, which would be crucial when the first sequel finally arrives in theaters in 2018 or some nine years after the first movie came out.