Everything we know about the ocean-set sequel to 2009’s Avatar.
The original Avatar took over the world with its amazing performance capture, CG backgrounds, and 3D photography. James Cameron’s bewitching tale became the highest grossing film of all time when it released in 2009, until Avengers: Endgame came along. And since success tends to lead to sequels, there will be an Avatar 2, and more adventures on top of that in the ensuing years.
Originally slated for 2014, the as-yet-untitled Avatar 2 is the first of four sequels in the works. We’re heading back to Pandora, where the indigenous Na’vi people fought off the human invaders ravaging their beautiful lands to mine precious « unobtainium ». However, we also know we’ll be travelling underwater for Avatar 2.
But what can we expect from the sequel to what was once the biggest blockbuster hit of all time? We’ve sent out an early recon mission to Pandora to find out everything you need to know about Avatar 2’s release date, title, plot, cast and more, including its recent delay due to coronavirus-related production headaches.
Avatar 2 has been delayed from December 17,2021 to December 16,2022 over productions issues related to coronavirus. Avatar 3 has been delayed from December 22,2023 to December 20,2024, Avatar 4 has been pushed back from December 19,2025 to December 18,2026, and finally Avatar 5 has been delayed from December 27,2027 to December 22,2028. When it’s all done, that’ll be 19 years after the release of the original Avatar.
The reason behind the delay is that the film can’t complete virtual stage production work in Los Angeles due to the pandemic. James Cameron posted the following letter explaining the delay:
Production in New Zealand, though, did at least resume in June 2020 after a hiatus caused by the virus:
The first images of Avatar 2 above – concept art from the watery parts of Pandora – were unveiled during CES 2020. They show more of the movie’s ocean-based settings.
Nothing official beyond Avatar 2. A 2018 BBC report claimed that the four new films may be titled Avatar: The Way of Water, Avatar: The Seed Bearer, Avatar: The Tulkun Rider and Avatar: The Quest for Eywa (Eywa being the name of the Pandoran deity worshipped by the Na’vi).
Alas, if you think they sound a tad uninspiring, the bad news is that they may well be real. « Those titles are among the titles that are in consideration, » Cameron told ET. « No final decisions have been made yet. »
Alternatively, he could just keep things simple by going the Alien route with Avatars, Avatar3, Avatar Resurrection and Avatar Vs Predator. Or maybe not.
Plot specifics are currently as elusive as the ‘Unobtainium’ the human invaders were trying to extract from Pandora in the original Avatar. We do know, however, that the story will pick up around a decade after the first film, and that Jake Sully (whose human consciousness was permanently downloaded into his Na’vi body) and Neytiri now have children: Neteyam, Lo’ak, Tuktirey. It’s also been confirmed that much of the movie will take place around Pandora’s oceans, with the newly introduced sea-faring Metkayina clan playing a key role.
