Ahead of the release of Avatar: The Way of Water, director James Cameron reveals that the franchise could drastically change if the film underperforms at the box office. Released in 2009, the first Avatar introduced audiences to the alien moon of Pandora and Sam Worthington's Jake Sully. The film follows Sully as he attempts to infiltrate a community of Pandora's native inhabitants, the Na'vi, but he soon joins forces with them against the human invaders. Avatar was a smash hit at the box office and is currently the highest-grossing movie of all time, with four sequels currently in development.
The first sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, is set to release later this year, continuing the story of Jake, Ney'tiri (Zoe Saldana), and their children. Avatar 2 trailers have already teased the project's highly impressive visuals, with Cameron having spent years developing cameras and motion capture technology that will bring the film's underwater sequences to life. Avatar: The Way of Water takes place 14 years after the events of the original movie, following Jake and Ney'tiri as they attempt to keep their family together following the emergence of a new threat. Avatar 3 is already in post-production and producer Jon Landau recently revealed that filming on Avatar 4 is already surprisingly far along.
In a recent interview with Total Film Magazine (via /Film), director James Cameron explains how the franchise plan will change if Avatar: The Way of Water bombs at the box office. Although Avatar is expected to get four sequels in total, the director reveals that Avatar 3 could be turned into a franchise conclusion if the second film underperforms. Check out Cameron's full comment below:
"The market could be telling us we're done in three months, or we might be semi-done, meaning: 'Okay, let's complete the story within movie three, and not go on endlessly,' if it's just not profitable ... We're in a different world now than we were when I wrote this stuff, even. It's the one-two punch – the pandemic and streaming. Or, conversely, maybe we'll remind people what going to the theater is all about. This film definitely does that. The question is: how many people give a s*** now?"
Why Avatar 2 Probably Won't Be A Box Office Failure
Early box office projections for Avatar: The Way of Water have already predicted that the upcoming film will earn $650 million domestically, which falls just short of the original film but is still an impressive number. While the Avatar sequels still remain something of a risk financially, the recent re-release of Avatar proved very popular at the box office, suggesting that audience interest in the franchise is still high despite the 13 years that have elapsed since the original film. The box office projections also don't account for overseas performance, with the original Avatar playing well in other markets, most notably China.
Cameron's comment affirms that, at the very least, franchise fans will be getting Avatar 3 regardless of how well the upcoming sequel performs. With hits like The Terminator, Aliens, and Titanic under his belt, Cameron has consistently proven that he should not be underestimated as a filmmaker, meaning Avatar: The Way of Water could defy expectations and exceed box office projections. While the evolved theatrical landscape means Avatar: The Way of Water will almost certainly not reach the box office highs of the original film, there is still good reason to expect that Cameron's contingency plan may not be necessary.
Source: Total Film Magazine (via /Film)
