James Cameron could end ‘Avatar’ franchise if the sequel flops
James Cameron, the director of 2009’s Avatar and its forthcoming sequel, The Way Of Water, has said that he would be prepared to end the planned franchise ahead of schedule if the box office return for the new film is inadequate.
Notably, Cameron – the mind behind other blockbusters such as The Terminator franchise and Titantic – is planning three more films after The Way Of Water, which is set for a theatrical release on December 16th this year. The following trio are scheduled for release in 2024, 2026 and 2028.
Now, in a new interview with Total Film (per Entertainment Weekly), Cameron opined that the story could finish after the third film, which has already finished filming, along with “parts of the fourth”, if there isn’t enough of a market response to The Way Of Water.
“The market could be telling us we’re done in three months, or we might be semi-done, meaning: ‘OK, let’s complete the story within movie three, and not go on endlessly,’ if it’s just not profitable,” the filmmaker told the publication.
“We’re in a different world now than we were when I wrote this stuff, even,” he continued. “It’s the one-two punch – the pandemic and streaming. Or, conversely, maybe we’ll remind people what going to the theatre is all about.”
He concluded: “This film definitely does that. The question is: how many people give a shit now?”
The Way Of Water will see the prominent cast members from Avatar return; Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang. Kate Winslet of Titanic fame, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Michelle Yeoh, Jemaine Clement, Oona Chaplin, Vin Diesel and CJ Jones are joining them for the new outing.
Elsewhere, in an interview with Empire earlier this year, Cameron defended the movie’s length. “I don’t want anybody whining about length when they sit and binge-watch [television] for eight hours,” he maintained. “I can almost write this part of the review. ‘The agonisingly long three-hour movie…’ It’s like, give me a fucking break.”
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