Avatar: Fire and Ash director James Cameron has a wild idea for the franchise’s next installment. Unfortunately, it’s probably never going to happen. The filmmaker joined Matt Belloni’s The Town podcast to discuss Avatar: Fire and Ash. He’s had a lot to say lately about the entertainment landscape. And, now Cameron is worried that he may not get to finish the Avatar story. But, he has a plan for an ending even if it’s not on the big screen.
The idea of this franchise ending on an unresolved plot thread would be devastating for longtime fans. But, Cameron has a plan! He told Belloni, “There’s one open thread. I’ll write a book!”
Stranger things have happened in the world of entertainment lately. Quentin Tarantino literally just published a long-gestating chapter of Kill Bill through Fortnite. (No seriously, take a look!) So, nothing is truly impossible. It’s actually pretty interesting to see Cameron fretting over the box office totals like this. He’s pretty sure Avatar: Fire and Ash will do well. But, will that be enough?
“It is one metric f*** ton of money, which means we have to make two metric f*** tons of money to make a profit,” Cameron argued. “I have no doubt in my mind that this movie will make money. The question is, does it make enough money to justify doing it again?”
Will James Cameron have to end Avatar 4-5 with books?
Avatar: Fire and Ash will likely be one of the biggest movies of the year. Some observers made the mistake of doubting Cameron when Avatar: The Way of Water released. Needless to say, that won’t be the case this time. Also, consider that every big studio is putting their best trailers in front of the winter blockbuster as well. That’s going to help and it isn’t even the point of the film!
Still, there is uncertainty around the larger entertainment landscape at this point. It’s safe to say that after 2020 there’s no such thing as a “sure thing” anymore. All that can be true. But, a weekend after Zootopia 2 just did over 500 million at the global box office, it sounds more silly. Even with those gaudy totals still being out there for the taking, these are the thoughts plaguing a talented filmmaker’s mind.
In addition, Cameron believes that Avatar: Fire and Ash’s sequel status could play a factor as well. “People tend to dismiss sequels unless it’s the third Lord of the Rings film and you want to see what happens to everybody, which in my mind this is — this is the culmination of a story arc, but that may not be how the public sees it,” the director said on the podcast.
For some normal sequels, sure! However, both Avatar films have felt like events through and through. With all of that laid out, it doesn’t feel like Cameron and Disney have to worry about Avatar 4 not happening. In fact, if this one does most of what Avatar: The Way of Water did, go ahead and pencil Avatar 5 in now.
(Photo Credit: 20th Century)
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