After a thirteen year wait, the Avatar sequel Avatar: The Way of Water is now in theatres (you can find out what our own Eric Walkuski thought of the film by watching the video embedded above, or by reading the review HERE), and Avatar 3 is guaranteed to reach theatres next year, on December 20, 2023. If these two movies do well enough, franchise mastermind James Cameron will be able to move forward on Avatar 4 and Avatar 5, which have already been given December 18, 2026 and December 22, 2028 release dates, but could be scrapped if the preceding sequels don’t make a profit. If these sequels do happen, cast member Jack Champion – who can be seen playing the character Spider in Avatar: The Way of Water – has said that the franchise will get better with each sequel.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Champion said, “I was very shocked by (the script for Avatar 3). It just takes a hard left turn, and that’s not a bad thing. You think you know where it’s going, but then a wrecking ball comes. So you’re completely like, ‘Oh wow, I never thought that would’ve happened.’ You also see more regions of Pandora, and you get introduced to more cultures. So I think it’s even better than Avatar: The Way of Water. Collectively, they’ll each get better.“
Cameron has said that Avatar 4 will “go nuts in a good way” and that his response from a studio executive when he sent in the script for that one was just two words: “Holy f*ck.” Champion says he understands why it got that reaction: “Oh man, I can’t say exactly why, but that story is pretty amazing and pretty dark.“
That’s where Champion’s Avatar knowledge ends, because he hasn’t been told anything about Avatar 5 and hasn’t seen the script yet. But producer Jon Landau has let it slip that Avatar 5 will send characters, including Pandora native / Na’vi heroine Neytiri, on a journey to Earth.
Are you looking forward to seeing the Avatar franchise continue to grow? Do you hope all of the planned sequels will happen? Let us know by leaving a comment below.