Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN) – “Avatar” fans are heading back to Pandora, in a few years at least. Academy Award-winning director James Cameron has agreed to make “Avatar 2″ and “Avatar 3″ his next films, with the first sequel due for release in 2014.
Cameron, who had been enticed by other projects such as a “Cleopatra” remake starring Angelina Jolie, will instead make the “Avatar” sequels his top priority. The news was announced by Fox execs Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman Wednesday.
Cameron will begin work on the scripts early next year with production to begin later in 2011. It will be decided if the films will be shot back-to-back after the scripts are completed.
“With two new films on the drawing boards, my company and I are embarking on an epic journey with our partners at Twentieth Century Fox,” said director James Cameron. “Our goal is to meet and exceed the global audience’s expectations for the richness of Avatar’s visual world and the power of the storytelling.”
“In the second and third films, which will be self contained stories that also fulfill a greater story arc, we will not back off the throttle of Avatar’s visual and emotional horsepower, and will continue to explore its themes and characters, which touched the hearts of audiences in all cultures around the world,” Cameron continued. “I’m looking forward to returning to Pandora, a world where our imaginations can run wild.”
Upon its release last year, “Avatar” became the highest grossing film of all-time, earning nearly $2.8 billion at the worldwide box office. It also earned three Academy Awards and became the biggest-selling Blu-ray of all time. A new collector’s edition of “Avatar” on Blu-ray releases next month.
“Avatar 2″ is expected to hit theaters in December 2014, while the sequel is targeted for December 2015.
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