James Cameron commissions 4 Avatar novels to supplement the upcoming sequels

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

On top of three sequels, James Cameron still feels there are a lot of stories to tell from the world of Pandora. So many tales, in fact, that Cameron has decided to tell them on the written page instead of the big screen. You may be asking yourself how the direct intends to fit all of this writing in while simultaneously making three movies and the answer is he found someone else to write them.

Cameron has selected Steven Charles Gould, author of JUMPER, to write four novels that will be canon to the films, including the three upcoming sequels. This likely means that Gould will be involved with the screenwriters working alongside James Cameron to flesh out the tales. This will mean that fans of the AVATAR universe will be able to go to the bookstore and the movie theater to continue their experience with the N’avi.

Cameron had this to say about Gould:

“Steven Gould is one of the shining lights in contemporary science fiction, and I’ve long admired the worlds and characters he’s created in his books and stories. We’re very fortunate to have Steven bring his formidable talents to the Avatar universe. He is already working closely with me and the screenwriters to flesh out the expanding world of Avatar.”

AVATAR 2, 3, and 4 are currently being written by Cameron along with Josh Friedman (WAR OF THE WORLDS), Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver (RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES) and Shane Salerno (SAVAGES). All three films are expected to shoot back to back to back next year for theatrical releases in December 2016 and each year thereafter.

There is no release date listed for the books, but I would venture to guess it would be within close proximity to the films. Like STAR WARS, once James Cameron is done, if there is a market for the novels they could continue to be published for years to come.