Last year, there were reports that the sequel to the most successful film of all time, “Avatar,” will have a release date of December 2016.
However, given the huge technical requirements of critically-acclaimed director, writer, and producer James Cameron for “Avatar 2,” it has been decided by Cameron and the executives of 20th Century Fox that the film will have a release date of December 2017 instead, Christmas Day.
That’s in addition to the fact that James Cameron will be filming not only “Avatar 2” but also “Avatar 3” and “Avatar 4” in one production, thus justifying the need for more time.
Towards the latter part of 2015, the reports were more or less consistent in saying that filming for “Avatar 2” and the two other sequels shall commence in April 2016, which would provide more than enough time before the movie gets to be shown in global theaters on December 2017. “Avatar 3” and “Avatar 4” will be shown one year after the other similar to what “The Hunger Games” has done in the course of four films, which shall also be adapted by the “Divergent” series also in the course of four movies.
However, the December 25, 2017 release date of “Avatar 2” has been recently taken off from the 2017 release schedule of 20th Century Fox sometime in February, leaving the film without a new official release date.
It remains to be seen whether the disappearance of “Avatar 2” from the release schedule of 20th Century Fox for next year was just temporary or for good measure.
Assuming that “Avatar 2” would not come out to theaters as planned on December 25 next year, it would sure douse cold water anew on the excitement of fans on the movie since its predecessor movie came out way back in 2009.
Avoiding a confrontation?
There are rumors going around lately that the reason why 20th Century Fox removed the December 25, 2017 playdate of “Avatar 2” is because it wanted to avoid a possible confrontation with “Star Wars 8,” which reportedly would have the same release date.
“Avatar 2” is vying to equal if not surpass the US$2.7 billion mark made at the box-office by “Avatar” in 2009. If the movie comes out exactly at the same time or just a week apart with “Star Wars 8,” “Avatar 2” would really be hardpressed to make better money at the box-office on its own.
It can be recalled that “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is now the third all-time highest grossing movie next only to “Avatar” and “Titanic.” Disney Pictures would leave no stones unturned in ensuring that “Star Wars 8” would also be good and worthy of making it to the list of highest-grossing movies of all time.
Pitting the two heavyweights at the box-office at the same time or about the same time would surely take a toll on the box-office potentials of each movie and they would surely find it difficult to make it to the top while trying to outdo each other.
The decision of 20th Century Fox to remove “Avatar 2” from its second playdate of December 25, 2017 may be a sublime statement that it does not want to compete with a possible blockbuster in the box-office because it would only ruin the chances of the sequel to gun for the record of the original film.
Jake and Neytiri’s family in the limelight
Based on latest reports, filming and principal photography for “Avatar 2” will begin on April 15 and it shall take place in New Zealand and Manhattan Beach, California.
The film’s new plot shall reportedly follow Jake Sully’s permanent embodiment of his Na’vi avatar and his new life with Princess Neytiri. Jake is to be portrayed by Sam Worthington while Zoe Saldana will reprise her role as Princess Neytiri, notes the Lawyer Herald.
There are also reports saying that the plot of “Avatar 2” shall focus on the children of Jake Sully and Neytiri and that Sully will soon be chieftain of their tribe while Neytiri will serve as a priestess.
James Cameron has come out recently to say that the three upcoming sequels of “Avatar” can actually stand alone on their own.