“Avatar” director James Cameron is getting ready to return to Pandora for the three announced sequels to the 2009 blockbuster.
“The second, third and fourth films all go into production simultaneously,” Cameron explained during a Reddit Q&A. “They're essentially all in preproduction now, because we are designing creatures, settings, and characters that span all three films. And we should be finished with all three scripts within the next, I would say, six weeks.”
Cameron wrote the first “Avatar” alone, but has drafted the likes of Josh Friedman (“War of the Worlds”), Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (“Rise of the Planets of the Apes”) and Shane Salerno (“Savages”) to collaborate on the sequels.
Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Stephen Lang are set to return to the sequel. Cameron regular Arnold Schwarzenegger (who Cameron directed in “True Lies” and the first two “Terminator” films) has been rumored to make an appearances, but Cameron doesn't think that will happen.
When asked about including the actor, Cameron responded, “I don't see a role as the scripts are coming together that would be appropriate for him, so I would say probably not.”
“There's always pressure, whether it's a new film or whether it's a sequel, to entertain and amaze an audience. The biggest pressure I feel right now is cutting out things I love to get the film down to a length that is affordable.
Barring any delays, “Avatar 2” will be released December 2016, with part 3 and 4 following the new year.