Avatar: The Way of Waterwas just released, but according to producer Jon Landau, the crew behind the film is already thinking aboutAvatar 4.In fact, according to Landau, the first act ofAvatar 4has already been shot.
Avatar: The Way of Wateris just the first sequel in theAvatarfranchise. James Cameron has previously stated that he could make many moreAvatarsequels (he’s mentioned going up toAvatar 7).Cameron said thatifAvatar: The Way of Waterfails, theAvatarsequels would be cancelled, andAvatar 3would serve as the finale to the franchise.
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In an interview withDeadlineatAvatar 2’s Los Angeles premiere, Landau revealed that the thirdAvatarhas already been filmed. For ‘logistical purposes,’ he explained, the opening act ofAvatar 4has already been filmed. This is because, according to Landau,Avatar 4will feature a time jump, and the child actors in the movie had to be filmed while they were still “the right age.”
Cameron’s previous comments aboutAvatar 3serving as a possible end to the franchise, combined with Landau’s new comments, paint a positive picture for the future of the series. ThoughAvatar: The Way of Waterhas to be the fourth or fifth highest-grossing filmof all time to break even, it does look like the studio is putting a lot of faith into the project. FilmingAvataris costly, and filming an entire opening act without being certain about the franchise’s future is a bold move.
Cameron has previously shareddetails on a cancelledAvatarsequel scripthe had calledAvatar: The High Ground.He stated that that film had numerous sequences he was proud of, including a truly impressive battle sequence. However, he noted that the script simply didn’t contain the right amount of spirituality, and it didn’t push the envelope far enough for him.
It is possible future films could make use of some of that scrapped content. Having scrapped an entire script, it’s surprising Cameron has committed to filming an entire opening act. On the other hand, Cameron has alreadyjustifiedAvatar: The Way of Water’s long runtimeby saying there are plenty of stories to service. Perhaps he has more of the story mapped out than most would assume.
