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Avatar 4

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This article is about the sequel film. You may be looking for the proposed prequel, formerly earmarked for production after Avatar 3.
Grace and the team film
"Outsiders are strictly forbidden."
This article is about upcoming Avatar media.
Information may be inaccurate and subject to change.

Avatar 4 is one of four planned sequels to the 2009 film Avatar, and a direct sequel to Avatar: Fire and Ash. It is set to be released on December 21, 2029.[1]

Plot[]

It is intended that Avatar 4 will be stand-alone, though it will form part of a meta-narrative that extends from Avatar 2 to Avatar 5.[3] The script has been described as "shocking" and that it will be "pretty dark" by Jack Champion.[4] The first act takes place roughly in the same time period as Avatar: The Way of Water & Avatar: Fire and Ash, after which there's a time jump of about 5 or 6 years, suggesting Avatar 4 will be set in or around 2175 or 2176.[5] [6] [7]

Avatar 4 will have its own narrator, which will neither be Jake nor Lo'ak.[8]

James Cameron has said that Miles Quaritch will be in all the sequels.[9] It is also suggested Neytiri will not die in Avatar 4 and that she will live to Avatar 5.[10]

There will be Earth scenes in Avatar 4 and Avatar 5.[11]

There will be a new character named Karina Mogue portrayed by Michelle Yeoh.

Cast[]

Na'vi[]

Recoms[]

Humans[]

Development[]

Title[]

A November 2018 BBC article claimed that the title would be The Tulkun Rider.[20] [21] Cameron later clarified in a February 2018 ET interview that the title was one of many under consideration and the sequel titles hadn't been finalized at that time.[22] Jon Landau stated in December 2022 that titles have been finalized but not to expect the previous claims to be final, saying that while The Way of Water was accurate, it does not mean the rest are.[23]

Writing[]

Friedman

Josh Friedman, the co-writer of Avatar 4'.

Shane Salerno was announced as the film's screenwriter in August 2013.[24] However, James Cameron decided to divide Avatar 2 into two movies around 2016, meaning that Josh Friedman became the primary writer of Avatar 4.[25]

When the script for Avatar 4 was sent to producers, they were extremely awestruck by the story. Cameron has said of Avatar 4 that “you think you know what it’s about, and then, oh no, you don’t. I hope I get to make that film, is what I’m saying."[26]

Production[]

Cameron said Avatar 4 was a "maybe" in May 2012. During initial interviews on the film in 2012, Cameron commented that it may be a prequel rather than a sequel, similar to Star Wars which finished a trilogy and then released a prequel. However, all interviews since then have referred to it as a sequel. Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana signed for a further three films.[27]

In August 2013, Avatar 4 was formally announced. In October 2013, Sam Worthington said that the three sequels would be shot back to back starting in fall 2014.[28] However, this would be delayed three years because James Cameron wanted all the scripts for the sequels to be finished before shooting.

In September 2017, James Cameron stated that, as part of the back-to-back shooting of all four Avatar sequels, production on Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 would start after the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash. Both Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 are intended to be shot together and put through post-production sequentially, in a similar fashion to Avatar: The Way of Water and Avatar: Fire and Ash.[29]

In January 2019, Disney CEO and chairman Bob Iger said that Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 were being developed but were not been officially greenlit by Disney.[30]

In 2022, James Cameron said that if Avatar: The Way of Water underperforms at the box office, he would still make Avatar 3, but not Avatar 4 and Avatar 5.[31]

Filming[]

According to Jon Landau during a February 2019 interview with Collider, some performance capture for Avatar 4 has already been completed during the performance capture filming of Avatar: The Way of Water and Avatar: Fire and Ash.[32] This was further emphasized by Landau in another February 2019 interview with the LA Times, with the performance capture done for Avatar 2, Avatar 3, and parts of Avatar 4 described as "principal capture".[33]

In 2021, Michelle Yeoh filmed some scenes for her character Karina Mogue. Some other filming was done with the younger cast for the first act of the film because Cameron didn't want the younger cast members to significantly age between sequels.[34] [35]

On October 6, 2022, it was announced that the first act of Avatar 4 filming was completed.[36]

In January 2024, Sam Worthington mentioned there would be more Avatar filming in February 2024. Sites have circulated that Worthington meant for Avatar 4, however, the original People.com article does not actually specify which film, or possibly both Avatar 3 and Avatar 4.[37] A similar instance occurred when Stephen Lang shared an image from the set; his Instagram post does not specify which film, but one news site claims it is Avatar 4 which could be an error.[38] A post by Matt Gerald merely mentions Avatar 3 and does not mention Avatar 4.

At D23 in August 2024, James Cameron confirmed that Michelle Yeoh's character will not appear until Avatar 4 and that she will come in for filming soon.[35]

Filming for Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 will resume in 2026.[citation needed]

Delays[]

An Avatar 5 was announced in 2017, with the release dates for the movies continuing to be delayed and Salerno moving on to write Avatar 5.

On May 7, 2019, Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 were mentioned as part of Disney-Fox's theatrical release date, planned for December 19, 2025 and December 17, 2027, respectively.[39]

On July 23, 2020, James Cameron announced that all Avatar sequels are delayed by one year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[40] The new release dates for Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 were December 18, 2026 and December 22, 2028.[41]

The sequels were delayed again by three years on June 13, 2023, with Avatar 4 being released on December 21, 2029 and Avatar 5 being released on December 19, 2031.[1]

Trivia[]

  • James Cameron has stated that he really wants to make Avatar 4, and is more excited about this installment than Avatar 3 and Avatar 5. He comments, "Everything I need to say about family, about sustainability, about climate, about the natural world, the themes that are important to me in real life and in my cinematic life, I can say on this canvas, I got more excited as I went along. Movie four is a corker. It's a motherfucker. I actually hope I get to make it. But it depends on market forces."[42]
  • According to James Cameron in an interview with Collider, the 20th Century Studios creative executive was very impressed by the script Cameron turned in for Avatar 4: When I turned in the script for [Avatar] 2, the studio gave me three pages of notes. When I turned in the script for [Avatar] 3, they gave me a page of notes. So I was getting better. When I turned in the script for [Avatar] 4, the studio creative executive over the films wrote me an email that said "Holy fuck". And I said "Well, where are the notes?" And she said "Those are the notes."[43]
  • James Cameron has stated that he intends to direct Avatar 4 unless he's hit by a bus.[44]

External Links[]

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 McClintock, Pamela; Couch, Aaron (2023-06-13). ‘Avatar 3’ Pushed a Year to 2025, Two ‘Star Wars’ Movies Head for 2026 and ‘Avengers’ Films Delayed. TheHollywoodReporter.com.
  2. ↑ Pessaux, Clément (2025-04-12). James Cameron Breaks Silence: The Unexpected Truth Behind Avatar 3’s “9-Hour” Rumor. 3DVF.com.
  3. ↑ Kelly, Brendan; Montreal Gazette (updated 2020-06-03). James Cameron talks Cirque du Soleil and Avatar 2. MontrealGazette.com.
  4. ↑ Davids, Brian (2022-12-20). ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Star Jack Champion Talks Spider’s Surprising Choice and the “Hard Left Turn” of ‘Avatar 3’. TheHollywoodReporter.com.
  5. ↑ Wang, Jessica (2022-12-20). James Cameron says he shot the Avatar sequels at the same time to avoid the 'Stranger Things effect'. EntertainmentWeekly.com.
  6. ↑ Variety (2022-12-15). Sam Worthington Talks 'Avatar: The Way of Water', Underwater Acting, and Sigourney Weaver. YouTube.com.
  7. ↑ Variety (2021-12-15). James Cameron & Denis Villeneuve on 'Avatar', 'Dune', and Pioneering CGI | Directors on Directors. YouTube.com.
  8. ↑ Schimkowitz, Matt (2023-01-18). James Cameron fires Jake Sully as Avatar's narrator, announces new narrator for each sequel. AVClub.com.
  9. ↑ Robinson, Tasha (2023-01-12). Avatar’s unkillable Colonel Quaritch could be the perfect villain for an eternal war. Polygon.com.
  10. ↑ Sharf, Zack (2022-12-12). Na’vi Will Come to Earth If James Cameron Gets to Make ‘Avatar 5′: ‘We Want to Expose Neytiri‘ to Our Planet. Variety.com.
  11. ↑ Weiss, Josh (2023-01-20). 'Avatar 4' will move the action from Pandora to Earth, reveals producer Jon Landau. Syfy.com.
  12. ↑ EntertainmentWeekly.com article.
  13. ↑ Child, Ben (2022-12-30). The Avatar saga is here to stay. So what will part three look like?. TheGuardian.com.
  14. ↑ Richard, Nate (update 2024-12-21). 'Avatar: Fire and Ash': What We Know About James Cameron's Smouldering Threeequel. Collider.com.
  15. ↑ Fernandez-Paris, Juanma (2017-05-26). Avatar Sequel News. YouTube.com.
  16. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (2017-08-17). Matt Gerald Returning To James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ World; Boards Crackle’s ‘The Oath’. Deadline.com.
  17. ↑ Gallagher, Brian (2017-10-13). Giovanni Ribisi Returns for All Four Avatar Sequels. MovieWeb.com.
  18. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (2018-01-25). Dileep Rao To Reprise His Role In James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ Films. Deadline.com.
  19. ↑ Couch, Aaron (2019-04-15). Michelle Yeoh Joins ‘Avatar’ Sequels. TheHollywoodReporter.com.
  20. ↑ Mzimba, Lizo (2018-11-01). Avatar sequels titles revealed?. BBC.com.
  21. ↑ ScifiCool.com article.
  22. ↑ Baumgartner, Scott (2019-02-06). James Cameron Reveals Legitimacy of 'Avatar' Sequel Titles Leak (Exclusive). EntertainmentTonightOnline.com.
  23. ↑ Lussier, Germain (2022-12-07). Avatar 5 Will Return to Earth, But That Leaked Title Is Wrong. Gizmodo.com.
  24. ↑ Kroll, Justin (2013-08-01). ‘Avatar’ to Get Three Sequels, Fox/Cameron Hire Screenwriters. Variety.com.
  25. ↑ Friedman, Josh (2018-04-11). Twitter post. Twitter.com. "I know it's a small detail entertainment media but while I did help out on all of the Avatar sequels, I wrote Avatar 4. Not #2. Also, and this is more important, my wife @christineabf really fucking hates my hair in that old picture of me."
  26. ↑ Bonaime, Ross (2022-12-07). James Cameron Says 'Avatar 4' "Goes Nuts" and Studio Executive Said “Holy F*ck” After Reading Script. Collider.com.
  27. ↑ Johnson, Zach (2014-01-15). Zoë Saldana and Sam Worthington Sign on for Three Avatar Sequels. EOnline.com.
  28. ↑ Nicholson, Max (2013-10-18 updated 2016-04-18). Sam Worthington Says Avatar Sequels Will Shoot Fall of 2014. IGN.com.
  29. ↑ Masters, Kim (2017-09-27). James Cameron Doubles Down on ‘Wonder Woman’ Critique, Details the ‘Avatar’ Sequels. TheHollywoodReporter.com.
  30. ↑ Hough, Jack (2019-01-04 updated 2019-01-08). Disney’s Bob Iger Talks Streaming, Park Plans, and Learning From Kodak. Barron's.com.
  31. ↑ Shutt, Mike (updated 2022-11-07). James Cameron Is Prepared To Wrap Things Up With Avatar 3 If The Sequels Aren't Profitable. SlashFilm.com.
  32. ↑ Chitwood, Adam (2019-02-07). Exclusive: ‘Avatar’ Sequels Begin Filming Live-Action Sequences This Spring in New Zealand. Collider.com.
  33. ↑ Yamato, Jen (2019-02-14). How ‘Alita’ is paving the way for James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ sequels. LosAngelesTimes.com.
  34. ↑ Ankers-Range, Adele (2022-12-22). James Cameron Has Already Shot Scenes From Avatar 3 and 4. IGN.com.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Romano, Nick (2024-08-13). Michelle Yeoh won't appear until Avatar 4, James Cameron confirms (exclusive). EntertainmentWeekly.com.
  36. ↑ Plant, Logan (2022-10-06). Avatar 4: First Act Already Completed. IGN.com.
  37. ↑ Janz, Madeleine; Rockson, Gabrielle (2024-01-09). Sam Worthington Says Avatar Starts to Shoot Again in 1 Month: ‘It's Bigger Than You Can Imagine’ (Exclusive). People.com.
  38. ↑ Roberts, Jasmine (2024-01-30). Stephen Lang Celebrates 'Avatar 4's Filming Start With Set Image. Collider.com.
  39. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (2019-05-07). Disney-Fox Updates Release Schedule: Sets Three Untitled ‘Star Wars’ Movies, ‘Avatar’ Sequels To Kick Off In 2021 & More. Deadline.com.
  40. ↑ Avatar (2020-07-23). Instagram post. Instagram.com. "A message from James Cameron. Irayo, Na'vi Nation. Stay safe. 💙"
  41. ↑ Scott, Ryan (2020-07-23). Avatar Sequels Delayed Yet Again, Avatar 2 Won't Arrive Until 2022. MovieWeb.com.
  42. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (2022-07-05). Avatar 4 Is A "Motherf**ker," James Cameron Says, But He Might Not Direct It (If It Even Gets Made). GameSpot.com.
  43. ↑ Collider Interviews (2022-12-08). James Cameron Interview: Avatar 2, How Avatar 4 "Goes Nuts" & More. YouTube.com.
  44. ↑ Moran, Edward (2024-11-10). James Cameron’s ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Concept Art Revealed. CinemaDailyUS.com.
[ v • e ]Avatar Franchise
FilmsAvatar (2009) · The Way of Water (2022) · Fire and Ash (2025) · Avatar 4 (2029) · Avatar 5 (2031)
Unproduced scripts: Prequel (c. 2012) · The High Ground (c. 2013)
DocumentariesA Message from Pandora · Avatar: Creating the World of Pandora · Avatar: The Deep Dive · Capturing Avatar · Expedition Pandora · Inside Pandora's Box · Pandora Discovered · Planet Pandora · The Science of Avatar
ComicsBrothers (2017) · Tsu'tey's Path (2019) · The Next Shadow (2021) · Adapt or Die (2022) · The High Ground (2022) · So'lek's Journey (2024)
GamesPC/Console: Avatar: The Game (2009: PC/360/PS3 · Demo · Wii/PSP · NDS) · Frontiers of Pandora (2023)
iOS/Android: Avatar (2009) · Warrior's Journey (2015) · Pandora Rising (2019) · Project Eden (cancelled) · Reckoning (cancelled)
Browser: AVTR Advanced Team (2009) · Pandora ROVR (2009)
Pinball: Pinball (2010) · The Battle for Pandora (2024)
Other: The Mobile Game (2009)
EventsThe Exhibition (2011-14) · Toruk - The First Flight (2015-19) · The Exhibition (2016-) · 10 Year Anniversary (2019) · Avatar Live in Concert (2024)
RelatedCanon · Cultural impact (media references) · ILM Prototype · Pandora: The World of Avatar (2017-) · Novel Series · Scientific literature · Watch order
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