James Cameron says the Avatar sequels will address real world social issues

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

When the first trailers hit for James Cameron‘s AVATAR, there were countless comparisons to the animated film FERNGULLY. Both films deal with woodland creatures dealing with the destruction of their habitats by greedy humans and both drove home the idea of protecting the environment with a not so subtle hammer. Well, if you were expecting the three upcoming AVATAR sequels to be any different, you are going to be disappointed.

In a recent interview with Variety regarding 20th Century Fox honcho Jim Gianopulos, Cameron shared some insight as to the thematic direction of the AVATAR sequels and the message they will convey.

“There’s nothing I need to say as an artist about the state of the world and human affairs that I can’t do through the lens of the ‘Avatar’ universe,” he says. “We’ve had a couple of years to think through the story arc of the next three films, and every day that goes by, I believe in the stories I’m telling more and more. We’re not coming out of the block fast to capitalize on the last film.”

I have absolutely no problem with a piece of entertainment also spreading a positive message, but I am holding out hope that AVATAR 2, 3, and 4 will do so in a less blunt manner. AVATAR was so obvious in it’s anti-deforestation/pro-environmentalism message that it became distracting. We all know that James Cameron is passionate about these causes, but there is a way to share that without alienating audience members who may not be aligned with those ideals.

The article also goes on to say that the three AVATAR sequels combined are estimated to have a budget of $1 billion which would make them the most expensive movies ever made. Here’s to hoping that buys us some less overt propaganda.

AVATAR 2 will hit theaters December 2016.