"Avatar" is a commercially successful film in 2009 helmed by acclaimed director James Cameron. The first of three sequels was originally scheduled for release in 2016. However, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Cameron has announced for the film's postponement to 2017.
It seems that "Avatar" fans will be a bit disappointed after James Cameron announced that its sequel will be delayed to 2017. Cameron attributed the delay to the complexity of the script, in which the director explained that the writing process has been "very involved" and the initial target release date for the highly-anticipated first of the three sequels was quite too ambitious.
"There's a layer of complexity in getting the story to work as a saga across three films that you don't get when you're making a stand-alone film," Cameron said during the promotion of the local film industry in Wellington, New Zealand. He was there along with other notable film directors including Peter Jackson.
James Cameron, who won three Oscars for his work on the film, also added that all three "Avatar" sequels will be filmed at once. And it will be released over three consecutive years.
"We're writing three simultaneously. And we've done that so that everything tracks throughout the three films," the director explained. "We're not just going to do one and then make up another one and another one after that."
"And parallel with that, we're doing all the design," Cameron added. "So we've designed all the creatures and the environments."
The 60-year-old award winning director, James Cameron also noted the significance of constructing seamless connecting elements between the "Avatar" sequels while still giving each film a resolution. Additionally, Cameron said the scripts for the three upcoming movie sequels will be finished by the end of January.
Cameron also expressed his plan to shoot all the three sequels in New Zealand, since the first film was shot there. The films will be made by Lightstorm Entertainment and Twentieth Century Fox.
Meanwhile, films' producer Jon Landau stated that the production team is taking additional security precautions in light of the Sony hack.
"I will only say yes but will not tell you how," he jokingly said.
In 2009, "Avatar' has earned $2.8 billion after it was released. It is considered as one of the top-grossing films of all time. According to ABC News, the film has received several recognition and accolades including the Academy Awards for cinematography, visual effects and art direction. It also won the Golden Globes for best drama category.
