It’ll be a long wait till we’re back in Pandora, but according to the latest reports, work on director James Cameron’s next two chapters in the ‘Avatar’ saga has officially begun. Months after the release of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, the fourth and fifth instalments have begun progressing steadily, following the film’s strong box office performance that pushed it past the USD 1 billion mark.
‘Avatar 4’ and ‘Avatar 5’ greenlit
Executive producer Rae Sanchini, who worked on the third instalment, confirmed that preproduction is currently underway for the upcoming films. In a statement to People, Rae said, “Right now we’re figuring out the schedule” and further added, “We’re working hard on it right now, budgeting, scheduling, planning, building out our new pipeline for them. As far as we’re concerned, we’re full speed ahead.”
‘Avatar 4’ and ‘Avatar 5’ scripts are ‘brilliant’
She also revealed that Cameron with his team, is developing new technology to enhance the franchise’s visual storytelling. Sharing an update about the film’s scripts, she added, “We have the scripts, they’re brilliant. As far as I’m concerned, we’re heading forward.”The update follows the success of Avatar: Fire and Ash, a sequel to Avatar: The Way of Water, which crossed the USD 1 billion mark at the global box office within weeks of its release and went on to earn approximately USD 1.48 billion worldwide.
‘Avatar 4’ to tell Varang story
Reports indicate that ‘Avatar 4’ will delve deeper into Varang’s “darkness” and her role as a formidable, malicious, anti-Eywa Na’vi. At the recent Saturn Awards, Cameron revealed that the character Varang could be the central focus of the new film. “From Fire and Ash, Varang may need to be written up a little bit moving forward,” he said, explaining that the character blended into the wider ensemble because “there are a lot of characters and plates spinning in the story.“The director previously stated that the box office performances of his films are important to continue making the big-budget films. He previously noted that the box office performance of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, would play a crucial role in determining whether the planned sequels move ahead.
‘Avatar 4’ and ‘Avatar 5’ release dates
The yet-untitled fourth and fifth films are tentatively slated for theatrical releases in 2029 and 2031.