Actor Stephen Lang has officially completed filming on James Cameron’s highly anticipated Avatar 2 and 3. Lang was one of the stars of Cameron’s original 2009 Avatar blockbuster, portraying the morally corrupt Miles Quaritch. Killed off in the first film, fans of Cameron’s ground-breaking franchise were particularly surprised to learn that Lang was returning for roles in at least two of the upcoming sequels. But under Cameron’s guidance, the character is indeed back, and Lang is excited to be part of what he’s labelled Avatar on steroids.”

So much has time has passed since the release of Avatar, that many people have forgotten how much of an impact that the film had on cinema for years afterward. Cameron has long been known as a filmmaker who takes big risks and who has a significant interest in pushing the boundaries of traditional filmmaking. Avatar single-handedly ushered in a new era of 3D cinema upon its release, creating countless imitators – none of whom could quite hit the same high water mark that Avatar had established. But as time went on, 3D filmmaking fell out of favor and audiences were no longer impressed by the technology. Now, with the release of Avatar 2 a little over a year away, attention is again returning to Cameron’s passion project.

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Filming on Avatar 2 was completed back in September of 2020, and Cameron continues to film the remaining sequels in New Zealand. But, at least one star of the new films has finished work on two of the sequels. Lang recently revealed to EW that for the most part, his work on Avatar 2 and 3 is complete, though he may still have to return to “do a line here and there.” Tight lipped over much of what’s taking place under Cameron’s careful eye, Lang stated:

"I was in communication just last week with New Zealand, with my director, and everything's great — he's working hard. My acting work on both Avatar 2 and 3 is complete. I might have to go back and do a line here and there, but I'm really done. I hate to even call it post-production, what's going on now, because it really is the making of the film. It's just a beautifully imagined universe that Cameron has conceived of here. The partners we have, the people working by his [side], are committed to the vision of it and they bring so much to the table, from the actors to the caterers and everybody else. I'm looking forward to it as much as everyone else. It's been so long in the making, so long a part of my life."

Stephen Lang In Avatar

Though exact specifics about everything from the plots of the Avatar sequels to how the five films will connect together is virtually unknown, one thing that fans have learned over recent years is that much of Avatar 2 will take place underwater. Cameron has pioneered a new technology that has reportedly enabled motion capture underwater – something that has not previously been done in a film. It does seem that Cameron continues to show no signs of easing off his desire to continuously be rewriting the rules on what is or isn’t possible in modern filmmaking. The end results will certainly be worth a trip to cinemas.

As for Lang’s Quaritch character, it remains to be seen just how his return is handled. Of course, there’s always the possibility that some of both Avatar 2 & 3 utilizes flashbacks – a tactic that might just also offer far more insight into the RDA’s background as well as its relationship with Pandora. Then again, with the first Avatar having been set in the year 2154, there very well could exist some sort of technology to bring certain individuals back to life in the subsequent sequels. One thing is for certain; as the wait for the first of the four sequels continues, there will be plenty of conjecture to keep fans incredibly eager for more.

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Source: EW

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