Despite the fact that the coronavirus pandemic is still alive and well, Avatar 2 producer Jon Landau recently confirmed that he and director James Cameron have returned to New Zealand to continue work on the long-gestating sequel. Production on the follow-up to Cameron's 2009 smash had previously been halted thanks to dangers presented by COVID-19, but as the old saying goes, the show must go on.
Thanks to a number of factors, including solid leadership and actions toward fighting the disease, New Zealand has not had to report any new cases of COVID-19 in days. Due to this monumental achievement, the country has reopened for business, thereby allowing filmmakers to return to their projects while observing positive health practices.
Landau recently posted images of himself with Cameron at his side on Instagram, after the duo had landed in New Zealand. As you can see from the photos above and below, both were wearing protective masks and shields. Upon arriving in New Zealand, both Landau and Cameron will have to adhere to a government-enforced 14-day period of self-isolation. In other words, both will have to chill at their hotel rooms until the two-week period has come to pass.
Naturally, both gentlemen will likely use their quarantine time to make preparations for filming, that way they can hit the ground running once they've returned to the set. There's also a possibility that Landau and Cameron can contribute to the film's production virtually by calling shots from their respective hotel rooms. This is arguably not be the most productive way to do things, but hey, we'll take whatever progress we can get, given the current situation. It's also worth noting that while Landau and Cameron aren't allowed to visit the set until their self-isolation period has passed, members of the crew can use that time to work on smaller setups and scenes.
Here's hoping that all goes well and that both Landau and Cameron can join their crew in the coming weeks. For the moment, AVATAR 2 is expected to hit theaters on December 17, 2021, though this date is subject to change, of course. Best of luck everyone, and stay safe!