Famous filmmaker James Cameron revealed Sunday he has already started working on “Avatar” 5 and 6, in spite of the fact “Avatar 3” has not yet hit theaters.
The director spoke of his intentions for the franchise at the 51st annual Saturn Awards in Los Angeles in an interview with People.
“We’re fully written through movie five, and I’ve got ideas for six and seven, although I’ll probably be handing the baton on at that point,” Cameron said.
“I mean, mortality catches up. But I mean, we’re enjoying what we’re doing. We’re loving it. We get to work with great people,” he said.
Cameron spoke of what led him to make the decision to keep pushing forward with this particular film.
“Star Trek, Star Wars, the world building franchises that have been around since I was a kid, those were my inspirations,” he told People.
“And as I was saying out there, we’re still a young universe. We’re only two movies in. We’re halfway through our third right now. To have that kind of cultural impact over time, you got to pour all your heart and energy into it,” he said.
“People are always asking us, ‘So why did you just keep working in the same…’ Why did Lucas keep working in the same thing? Why did Roddenberry keep working in the same thing? Because when you connect with people, why would you squander that? Why would you start over with something else that might not connect?”
“Avatar” producer Jon Landau also jumped in on the conversation.
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“And there are more stories to tell,” Landau told People. “I mean, it’s not like we’re trying to come up with stories. He’s got the stories and we took the time to lay it out across all four sequels.”
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 12: James Cameron speaks during the Hand and Footprint Cement Ceremony At TCL Chinese Theatre on January 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Cameron noted that the first two films were successful and hit the No. 1 and No. 3 spots as the highest grossing movies of all-time. This, he said, proved that “people are innately empathetic.”(RELATED: ‘Get The F*ck Out Of My Office’: James Cameron Says He Cursed Out Studio Exec In Meeting)
“Avatar’s” third movie is slated for theatrical release in 2025, the fourth installment is scheduled for 2029 and “Avatar 5” is likely to be released in 2031, according to People.
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – DECEMBER 09: Director James Cameron attends the press conference for “Avatar: The Way Of The Water” on December 09, 2022 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)