Moviefone Editorial

Tag: @movieid:20076604

  • Edie Falco Joins ‘Avatar’ Sequels as a General

    Netflix

    Edie Falco has just booked a ticket to Pandora. The Emmy-winning actress is joining the cast of James Cameron’s “Avatar” sequels.

    Filming has already begun on the sequels, which will kick off with “Avatar 2,” slated to open Dec. 18, 2020.

    Falco will play General Ardmore, a commander overseeing the interest of the RDA, the mega corporation with exclusive rights to Pandora and any off-Earth locations.

    Falco is the only woman to ever win the Best Actress Emmy in both the comedy and drama categories.

    She joins fellow “Avatar” newcomer Kate Winslet, as well as returning stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver.

    Details of the sequels’ plots remain unknown. But the end of the 2009 flagship film, Jake (Worthington) and Neytiri (Saldana) help the Na’vi rebel against the RDA and drive them from the planet. With Falco’s casting, it seems likely the RDA will return to attempt to take back what they consider theirs.

    After “Avatar 2,” “Avatar 3” is slated for Dec. 17, 2021; “Avatar 4” on Dec. 20, 2024; and finally “Avatar 5” on Dec. 19, 2025.

  • James Cameron Says the ‘Avatar’ Sequels Will Use ‘Revolutionary’ 3D Technology

    The first “Avatar” film won Oscars for its dazzling visual effects, and based on recent comments from writer-director James Cameron, the film’s long-awaited sequels seem poised to do the same.

    While speaking at a recent Vivid Sydney event in Australia, the filmmaker discussed the technology he’s using while shooting “Avatar 2,” “Avatar 3,” “Avatar 4,” and “Avatar 5” (yes, that’s four sequels total), which just started consecutive production last year. And according to Cameron, he’s planning on employing only the finest effects and tech currently available.

    “They will be, to the best of my ability, the best 3D that’s possible to make,” the director said of the sequels. “That includes collaborating with the people at Dolby Cinema, who have developed high dynamic range projection that could put 16 foot-lamberts of light on a 3D screen through the glasses, which is revolutionary. Normally, you’re looking at about three foot-lamberts. Sixteen is what you should be seeing. That’s what movies should look like.”

    While Cameron also noted that 3D technology still has a long way to go, the filmmaker said that what he’s able to use today will help create an unforgettable visual feast for filmgoers.

    “I guarantee one thing: Avatar 2, 3, 4, and 5 are all going to be in 3D and they will look sumptuous,” the director told the crowd in Sydney.

    We have no doubt that Cameron will deliver on his digital promises — but first, we need to get those films into theaters. The first of the bunch, “Avatar 2,” is currently slated for release on December 18, 2020, followed by “Avatar 3” on December 17, 2021, “Avatar 4” on December 20, 2024, and “Avatar 5” on December 19, 2025.

    [via: VFX Blog, h/t The Playlist]

  • James Cameron Hopes Fans Soon ‘Start Getting Avenger Fatigue’  

    James Cameron is already tired of the “Avengers: Infinity War” hype train. Maybe you agree. Maybe not.

    Cameron has had phenomenal success as a blockbuster writer/director/producer. From sci-fi (“Aliens,” “Avatar,” “The Abyss,” “Terminator”) to disaster (“Titanic”) and straight-up action “(True Lies”), he has had the formula for success for years.

    But that was a long time ago, at least to him, and he kinda comes across as a bit … jealous? bitter? .. in a new talk with reporters (via IndieWire):

    “I’m hoping we’ll start getting ‘Avenger’ fatigue here pretty soon. Not that I don’t love the movies. It’s just, come on guys, there are other stories to tell besides hypogonadal males without families doing death-defying things for two hours and wrecking cities in the process. It’s like, oy!”

    You mean like in the “Terminator” movies?

    He was probably just joking around, but between this and his “Wonder Woman” comments, it sounds like he’s the frustrated kid on the sidelines judging all the players currently in the game.

    It’s strange to hear him say “fatigue” when he is working on four “Avatar” sequels, and also producing the sixth “Terminator” film in the franchise.

    Cameron compared the “Avatar” sequels to “The Godfather” as “a generational family saga”:

    “I’ve found myself as a father of five starting to think about what would an ‘Avatar’ story be like if it was a family drama. What if it was ‘The Godfather’? It’s a generational family saga. That’s very different than the first film. There’s still the same setting and the same respect for the shock of the new. We still want to show you things that you haven’t even seen or imagined, but the story is very different. It’s a continuation of the same characters… but what happens when warriors who are willing to go on suicide charges and leap off cliffs, what happens when they grow up and have their own kids? It becomes a very different story.”

    Maybe that’s why he made his comment about “hypogonadal males without families” — because he’s a dad now, thinking in Dad Zone and — what? Fans should be tired of stories that don’t reflect where he is right now?

    Anyway, he’s still a sci-fi master and had more to say on that if you’d like to read about it. Or you can just watch “AMC Visionaries: James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction,” the six-part docuseries that premieres Monday, April 30.

    Cameron is producing “Terminator 6” — a direct sequel to his films “The Terminator” and Terminator 2: Judgment Day” — scheduled for release November 22, 2019.

    “Avatar 2” is currently slated to open on December 18, 2020, with “Avatar 3” opening on December 17, 2021, “Avatar 4” opening on December 20, 2024, and “Avatar 5” opening on December 19, 2025.

    After “Avengers: Infinity War” opens this Friday, “Avengers 4” is coming May 3, 2019.

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  • The Four ‘Avatar’ Sequels Begin Consecutive Production, Will Cost Over $1 Billion

    If you thought TV shows were getting pricey to produce, just wait until you find out how much Fox is dropping on James Cameron‘s four “Avatar” sequels: The four flicks will reportedly cost $1 billion to make.

    Deadline reports that production has finally begun in California on the long-awaited sequels to 2009’s “Avatar,” the highest-grossing movie of all time worldwide. While plans for the follow-ups have been evolving for years, with release dates and the exact number of sequels changing more times than we can count, Cameron is apparently finally ready to turn his vision into a reality.

    Of course, such lofty vision doesn’t come without an equally lofty price tag, and studio Fox is betting big with a risky shoot that will see all four flicks film back to back to back to back. It’s the first time in history such a consecutive shooting schedule has been employed with four films (Peter Jackson previously held the record with three, for his “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” movies), and according to Deadline, that $1 billion estimate is expected to rise well before the final frame is shot.

    Cameron says he spent two solid years writing the sequel scripts, which returning star Sigourney Weaver praised as “even more amazing” than the first flick. With filming finally underway, it seems that fans will at last be able to judge that for themselves.

    “Avatar 2” is currently slated to open on December 18, 2020, with “Avatar 3” opening on December 17, 2021, “Avatar 4” opening on December 20, 2024, and “Avatar 5” opening on December 19, 2025. We’ll see if Cameron’s high-profile production meets those ever-shifting deadlines.

    [via: Deadline]

  • James Cameron: ‘Avatar 2’ Won’t Be Ready For 2018 Release

    AvatarEveryone is just going to have to wait a little longer for the “Avatar” sequels.

    While “Avatar 2” was scheduled for release Christmas 2018, director James Cameron told the Toronto Star that the movie won’t be ready by then.

    “Well, 2018 is not happening. We haven’t announced a firm release date,” he said.

    The delay comes as no surprise, considering Cameron has plans to film the four sequels back to back.

    “What people have to understand is that this is a cadence of releases. So we’re not making ‘Avatar 2.’ We’re making ‘Avatar’ 2, 3, 4 and 5. It’s an epic undertaking. It’s not unlike building the Three Gorges dam.”

    Cameron has also been busy helping design the new “Avatar”-themed park at Walt Disney World, as well as producing the documentary “Atlantis Rising.” He’s also tinkering with new technology for the “Avatar” movies.

    “I know where I’m going to be for the next eight years of my life. It’s not an unreasonable time frame if you think about it,” he added. “It took us four-and-a-half years to make one movie and now we’re making four. We’re full tilt boogie right now. This is my day job and pretty soon we’ll be 24-7.”

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  • James Cameron Has Finished All 4 ‘Avatar’ Sequel Scripts, Production to Start in August

    Director James Cameron arrives at the prJames Cameron has made many, many promises about the long-gestating sequels to “Avatar” since the 2009 flick went on to become the highest-grossing movie of all time. And as the years have ticked by without another film materializing, it often seemed as though the project would never happen. But now, Cameron has declared that he’s officially done with the scripts for the now-four planned sequels, and has also said that production will finally start later this year.

    Whether or not you choose to believe the filmmaker depends on just how much caution you want to attach to your optimism. Cameron discussed his progress on the follow-up flicks in a recent interview with The Daily Beast, and noted that he’s devoted a significant amount of time and attention to each film, perhaps explaining why it’s taken so long to get these movies off the ground.

    Here’s what he told The Daily Beast:

    ” … My focus is on Avatar 2, 3, 4, and 5 equally. That’s exactly how I’m approaching it. They’ve all been developed equally. I’ve just finished the script to Avatar 5. I’m now starting the process of active prep. I’ll be working with the actors in the capture volume in August, so I’m booked in production every day between now and then. Our volume is up and running, and everything is designed, and so we’re going full-guns right now. I feel like I’ve been let out of jail, because I’ve been in the writing cave for the last two years. I’m actually enjoying life. I don’t enjoy writing. I wouldn’t wish writing on a dog.”

    So perhaps Cameron’s desire to get everything just right is what caused such a massive delay in production. (And his aversion to writing probably played a role, too.) According to star Sigourney Weaver, all the extra time the filmmaker spent on the scripts appears to be worth it. Audiences will hopefully get to be the judge of that themselves soon.

    “Avatar 2,” “Avatar 3,” “Avatar 4,” and “Avatar 5” are currently slated for release around Christmas in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2023.

    [via: The Daily Beast]

  • Sigourney Weaver Says the ‘Avatar’ Sequels are ‘More Amazing’ Than the Original

    30th Annual American Cinematheque Awards Gala - ArrivalsWe haven’t heard much from writer-director James Cameron since he announced that the long-delayed “Avatar” sequels would be four films instead of three. And while there still isn’t much intel to go on, actress Sigourney Weaver has promised fans that the flicks will be worth the (seemingly never-ending) wait.

    In an interview with Variety, Weaver chatted about several of her upcoming projects, including those four much-discussed — but still quite mysterious — sequels, which the actress described as “looming” over her. While the sci-fi veteran didn’t elaborate on what that meant in terms of a shooting schedule, she did say that she’s seen three of the four the screenplays (in what stage of completion is unclear), and had nothing but praise for the stories that awaited filmgoers.

    “In my opinion, the three scripts I’ve read so far are many times more amazing than the first one in terms of their scope,” Weaver told Variety. “[Cameron] did a lot of the heavy lifting in the first movie, establishing the family and the relationships and the world, and now he really gets to play.”

    According to the trade, the four sequels will be “a family saga,” though what exactly that means is anyone”s guess. It does give us some hope, though, that Cameron is on track to finally begin production on these new films, after the plan for the sequels was changed from two films, to three, to four, and the release date for the first follow-up shifted from 2014 to 2016 to 2017, to the new tentative schedule: “Avatar 2,” “Avatar 3,” “Avatar 4,” and “Avatar 5” are currently slated to hit theaters around Christmastime in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2023, respectively.

    Stay tuned to see if the plan changes again. Based on everything that’s happened so far, we wouldn’t be surprised by anything at this point.

    [via: Variety]

    Photo credit: Getty Images

  • Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Avatar’ Prequel Hints at the Sequels

    TORUK - The First Flight In ConcertThere is still a long wait before James Cameron’s “Avatar” sequels start hitting theaters, but in the meantime, the director has revealed that fans will get an idea of some of the elements to expect thanks to the Cirque du Soleil prequel, “Toruk.”

    Opening Wednesday in New York, “Toruk” brings Cameron’s epic sci-fi world to stage. It may not have Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, or Sigourney Weaver, but it does boast incredible sets, choreography, and acrobatics. On top of that, there are elements that will pop up again in the film series.

    “We’ve got most of the sequel stuff already designed, but I like this idea of weaving back and forth between the two worlds, the live world and the film world,” Cameron told Variety.

    While the filmmaker revealed that the storyline doesn’t connect directly to the sequels — which follow Jake, Neytiri, and their children — there are still similarities.

    “Thematically, ‘Toruk’ manages to land very very closely to the feeling of where the sequel stories are going,” he said.

    Cameron didn’t write or direct “Toruk” himself, but he did serve as a consultant to ensure that the production fit with his vision for the franchise. Instead, writer-directors Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon took over, and what they came up with was the story of two Na’vi warriors looking for sacred objects.

    The film sequels are still coming, of course. The first is currently slated to open in theaters around Christmas 2018, and the others are expected to follow in regular increments thereafter.

    [via: Variety]

  • James Cameron Claims There Will Be Four ‘Avatar’ Sequels Now, and They Have (Alleged) Release Dates

    There’s no denying the success of “Avatar,” James Cameron’s groundbreaking 2009 blockbuster, which still holds the record as the highest-grossing movie of all time worldwide, with a whopping $2.79 billion in the bank. But its long-planned sequels have been anything but successful so far: An ambitious shooting schedule has still not begun; the initially promised two follow-ups suddenly morphed into three; and the films’ planned release dates have all been pushed back multiple times, before being abandoned altogether.

    Will these films ever see the light of day? (Or better yet, even begin production at all?) Cameron still claims the answer is yes, and has revealed that he’s now adding a fourth sequel to the mix.

    Cameron’s surprising announcement came on Thursday during a panel at CinemaCon, in which the director proclaimed that the four flicks — “Avatar 2,” “Avatar 3,” “Avatar 4,” and “Avatar 5” — would be hitting theaters around Christmastime in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2023, respectively.

    “We’re making four epic films, each one of which stands alone but together form a complete saga,” Cameron told the crowd, adding that it became clear after beginning work on the first two sequels that there was a larger tale to be told.

    “There is too much story and visionary ideas for two sequels,” the writer-director explained. “So we talked to Fox and expanded it to three sequels. Now that the script work is finishing up, it’s not three. It looks like four. So after talking it through with our partners at Fox and giving it a lot of thought, we decided to embark on a truly massive cinematic project.”

    Massive is certainly the right word for it. But can anyone believe Cameron at this point? Sure, the director took his time making “Avatar,” his eagerly-awaited follow-up to 1997’s “Titanic” which needed 12 years to materialize. But that flick eventually actually started production, and actually was released.

    In the sequels’ case, the first follow-up was tentatively scheduled to hit theaters in late 2016, before moving to late 2017, and then moving off the schedule entirely. (That was after a third flick was added to the mix; back in 2012, when there were still only two planned sequels, “Avatar 2” was optimistically slated for release sometime in 2014.) And the last update on the project noted that production (set for back-to-back-to-back shooting in New Zealand — perhaps now back-to-back-to-back-to-back?) still hadn’t begun. So forgive us if we remain more than a little skeptical at this point.

    Stay tuned to see if this ambitious plan pans out. We suppose if anyone is up for the challenge, it’s Cameron. Just don’t be surprised if those release dates change yet again — or if “Avatar 6” is announced soon after.

    [via: WSJ Speakeasy]

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