James Cameron hopes to direct a pet project between Avatar 3 and Avatar 4. The long-awaited sequel to the highest-grossing film of all time from 2009, Avatar: The Way of Water released in theaters this past December and defied all expectations as it climbed the charts of the highest-grossing movies ever, recently overtaking Cameron's own Titanic for third. This phenomenal box office success has essentially guaranteed that Cameron's planned and partially filmed Avatar 3 and 4 will be released over the coming years.
While the Avatar sequels were expected to consume the remainder of Cameron's filmmaking career, that may not be the case. During an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Cameron expressed interest in directing a pet project between Avatar 3 and 4, a movie based on the book The Last Train From Hiroshima: The Survivors Look Back by Charles R. Pellegrino. Read what Cameron said about the project below:
We live in a more precarious world than we thought we did. I think the Hiroshima film would be as timely as ever, if not more so. It reminds people what these weapons really do when they’re used against human targets.
Will James Cameron Have Time For Anything Outside Avatar?
The last three films Cameron directed – Titanic, Avatar, and Avatar: The Way of Water – have all been massive hits, ranking among the top five highest-grossing movies of all time. However, in order to create these types of blockbuster spectacles, Cameron has taken a long time between each of these movies. Titanic was released in 1997, followed by a 12-year gap until Avatar, and then another 13-year gap until the sequel was released.
Right now, Cameron's dance card is full of Avatar sequels, with Avatar 3, 4, and 5 all already planned out and scheduled for release. However, as long as he doesn't stick to his old habits, Cameron might actually have time for another project. According to the director, Avatar 3 is already 95 percent finished filming ahead of its December 20, 2024 release. With only the post-production process left to go, which will mostly be handled by VFX artists, this means Cameron could actually have the time to direct his Hiroshima movie in the next two years before getting back to work on Avatar 4, which is scheduled for release on December 18, 2026.
The filmmaker seems serious about directing his pet project between Avatar 3 and Avatar 4. Cameron has already done extensive research on the topic by interviewing the late Tsutomu Yamaguchi, the only known survivor of both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, and has also thought about how the film will reflect on the war in Ukraine and resurgent nationalism. Cameron's recent projects have all gone on to become massive successes, so expect his Hiroshima movie to do the same if he ever finds the time to direct it.
Source: Los Angeles Times
