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James Cameron On How 13-Year Time Gap Between тАШAvatarтАЩ Movies Will Impact Success Of Sequel

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By Brent Furdyk.

Debuting in 2009, тАЬAvatarтАЭ went on to become HollywoodтАЩs all time top-grossing movie, racking up a worldwide box office of more than $2.9 billion.

With the long-awaited sequel, тАЬAvatar: The Way of WaterтАЭ, set for release on Dec. 16, that places a 13-year span between the first movie and its sequel.


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In a new interview with┬аThe Hollywood Reporter, the filmsтАЩ director, James Cameron, addresses that time gap, and weighs in on how much he thinks it could impact the new movieтАЩs success.

тАЬThereтАЩs skepticism in the marketplace around, тАШOh, did it ever make any real cultural impact?тАЩтАЭ he said. тАЭтАШCan anybody even remember the charactersтАЩ names?’тАЭ

According to Cameron, itтАЩs unfair to compare тАЬAvatarтАЭ to the тАЬStar WarsтАЭ or Marvel franchises, since тАЬAvatarтАЭ was meant to be the first of many movies, setting up the mythology of the franchise to come.

тАЬWhen you have extraordinary success, you come back within the next three years,тАЭ he explained. тАЬThatтАЩs just how the industry works. You come back to the well, and you build that cultural impact over time. Marvel had maybe 26 movies to build out a universe, with the characters cross-pollinating. So itтАЩs an irrelevant argument. WeтАЩll see what happens after this film.тАЭ


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In fact, Cameron has somewhat grandiose plans for the тАЬAvatarтАЭ franchise. тАЬI want to tell an epic story over a number of films. LetтАЩs paint on a bigger canvas. LetтАЩs plan it that way. LetтАЩs do тАШThe Lord of the RingsтАЩ. Of course, they had the books. I had to write the book first, which isnтАЩt a book, itтАЩs a script,тАЭ he explained.

In fact, thatтАЩs already well underway, given that Cameron has already shot тАЬAvatar 3тАЭ, slated for release in 2024, has begun production on the fourth (due in 2026), and has already written the script for the fifth (2028).

тАЬItтАЩs all written out, stem to stern, four scripts, and fully designed,тАЭ Cameron said. тАЬWe know exactly where weтАЩre going, if we get the opportunity to do it. And that opportunity will simply be market-driven, if people want it, if they like this movie enough.тАЭ


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If thereтАЩs public demand, Cameron also has plans for sixth and seventh тАЬAvatarтАЭ movies. тАЬIтАЩd be 89 by then,тАЭ Cameron said. тАЬObviously, IтАЩm not going to be able to make тАШAvatarтАЩ movies indefinitely, the amount of energy required.тАЭ

With that in mind, heтАЩs already started thinking about whoтАЩll be taking over the franchise from him. тАЬI would have to train somebody how to do this because, I donтАЩt care how smart you are as a director, you donтАЩt know how to do this,тАЭ he added.

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