Instead of being released at the later part of 2016, James Cameron's forthcoming "Avatar" sequels will be seen on the big screen in 2017. Chairman-CEO of 20th Century Fox Jim Gianopulos has revealed why.
Gianopulos told Variety at the Gabelli & Company's Movie and Entertainment Conference in New York that the film director "has his own pace" in working on the three sequels of the sci-fi film.
The executive officer of the studio also revealed that he was fascinated by what he saw when he visited the new production offices in New Zealand. Gianopulos saw a room that is covered with photos, characters, worlds, and settings, from floor to ceiling. The executive described it as the "most amazing, breathtaking thing" one has ever seen.
Gianopulos is also self-assured that the first of the highly-anticipated sequel triad will premiere in theaters in a Christmas season a couple of years from now, and then will be followed by the other two in 2018 and 2019.
There are valid reasons for delaying the release of the much-anticipated sequels of "Avatar," according to Cinema Blend.
The first is Cameron's plan to film the three upcoming film sequels "back-to-back." Similar to Joe and Anthony Russo's Marvel duology, "Avengers: Infinity War," Cameron can merge the filming of his movies to save time and effort of his staff and cast.
Another reason is the absent of source material that the production staff can follow. All they have is the script to make the films work, as opposed to "Harry Potter" and "Peter Jackson," which have the novels as references.
Cameron's use of advanced technology also contributes to the delay of the upcoming sequels. While he was able to utilize the innovation in his past film, there is also a possibility that his future films will run with a more advanced one.
Cameron's sequels start with "Avatar 2," which is slated to premiere in theaters on Dec. 25, 2017. "Avatar 3" will follow in December 2018 and "Avatar 4" will hit theaters in December 2019.