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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.

Avatar 4 is one of four planned sequels to the 2009 film Avatar. It is set to be released on December 21, 2029.[1]

It is intended that the plot be able to stand alone, though it will form part of a meta-narrative that extends from Avatar 2 to 5.[2]

Plot[]

Very little is known about the story so far, although the script has been described as "shocking" and that it will be "pretty dark" by Jack Champion.[3] The first act takes place roughly in the same time period as Avatar 2 & 3, 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.[4][5][6]

Avatar 4 will have its own narrator, which will neither be Jake nor Lo'ak.[7]

James Cameron has said that Miles Quaritch will be in all the sequels.[8] It is also suggested Neytiri will not die in Avatar 4 and that she will live to Avatar 5.[9]

There will be Earth scenes in Avatar 4 and 5.[10]

Cast[]

Na'vi[]

Recoms[]

Humans[]

Development[]

Title[]

A November 2018 BBC article claimed that the title would be The Tulkun Rider.[19][20] 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.[21] 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.[22]

Writing[]

Friedman

Josh Friedman, the co-writer of Avatar 4'

Shane Salerno was announced as the film's screenwriter in August 2013.[23] However, James Cameron decided to divide Avatar 2 into two movies around 2016, meaning that Josh Friedman became the primary writer of Avatar 4.[24]

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."[25]

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.[26]

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.[27] 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 5 would start after the release of Avatar 3. Both Avatar 4 and 5 are intended to be shot together and put through post-production sequentially, in a similar fashion to Avatar 2 and 3.[28]

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.[29]

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.[30]

On October 6, 2022, it was announced that the first act of Avatar 4 filming was completed.[31] One reason for filming scenes of Avatar 4 early was because Cameron didn't want the younger cast members to significantly age between sequels.[32]

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 3 and 4.[33] 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 4 which could be an error.[34] A post by Matt Gerald merely mentions 3 and does not mention 4.

Performance Capture[]

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 2 & 3.[35] This was further emphasized by Landau in another February 2019 interview with the LA Times, with the performance capture done for Avatar 2, 3, and parts of 4 described as "principal capture".[36]

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 5.

On May 7, 2019, Avatar 4 and 5 were mentioned as part of Disney-Fox's theatrical release date, planned for December 19, 2025 and December 17, 2027, respectively.[37]

On July 23, 2020, James Cameron announced that all Avatar sequels are delayed by one year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[38] The new release dates for Avatar 4 and 5 were December 18, 2026 and December 22, 2028.[39]

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 3 and 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."[40]
  • 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."[41]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/disney-moves-avatar-star-wars-avengers-1235514145/
  2. http://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/arts/james-cameron-says-avatar-and-cirque-du-soleil-are-a-natural-fit-in-toruk
  3. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/avatar-3-hard-left-turn-jack-champion-1235285646/
  4. https://ew.com/movies/james-cameron-shot-avatar-sequels-same-time-stranger-things-effect/
  5. https://youtu.be/-LF1RonbhSQ?t=216
  6. https://youtu.be/RgZQK7cfx_0?t=304
  7. https://www.avclub.com/james-cameron-fires-jake-sully-as-avatars-narrator-1849999144?mibextid=Zxz2cZ
  8. https://www.polygon.com/23550537/avatar-the-way-of-water-colonel-quaritch-perfect-villain
  9. https://variety.com/2022/film/news/avatar-5-plot-navi-earth-neytiri-1235457940/
  10. https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/avatar-4-will-take-place-on-earth
  11. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/dec/30/avatar-franchise-part-three-the-way-of-water
  12. https://collider.com/avatar-3-release-date-returning-cast-filming-details/
  13. http://ew.com/movies/2017/06/20/avatar-four-sequels-oona-chaplin/
  14. https://youtu.be/hMT3pTWh-Ac?t=1m2s
  15. http://deadline.com/2017/08/avatar-sequels-matt-gerald-returns-1202144393/
  16. http://movieweb.com/avatar-2-sequels-cast-giovanni-ribisi/
  17. http://deadline.com/2018/01/dileep-rao-james-cameron-avatar-sequels-1202269089/
  18. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/avatar-casts-michelle-yeoh-as-scientist-1202081
  19. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-46059129
  20. http://www.scificool.com/wait-there-will-be-more-navi-in-avatar-2-or-whatever-it-ends-up-being-called/
  21. https://www.etonline.com/james-cameron-reveals-legitimacy-of-avatar-sequel-titles-leak-exclusive-118997
  22. https://gizmodo.com/avatar-5-plot-james-cameron-pandora-earth-jon-landau-1849854542
  23. http://variety.com/2013/film/news/avatar-to-get-three-sequels-foxcameron-hire-screenwriters-1200570515/
  24. https://twitter.com/Josh_Friedman/status/984142289671827456
  25. https://collider.com/avatar-4-james-cameron-comments/
  26. http://www.eonline.com/news/499570/zoe-saldana-and-sam-worthington-sign-on-for-three-avatar-sequels
  27. http://ign.com/articles/2013/10/18/sam-worthington-says-avatar-sequels-will-shoot-fall-of-2014
  28. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/james-cameron-doubles-down-wonder-woman-critique-details-avatar-sequels-1043026
  29. https://www.barrons.com/articles/disneys-bob-iger-talks-streaming-park-plans-and-learning-from-kodak-51546599600
  30. https://www.slashfilm.com/1088142/james-cameron-is-prepared-to-wrap-things-up-with-avatar-3-if-the-sequels-arent-profitable/
  31. https://www.ign.com/articles/avatar-4-first-act-already-completed
  32. https://www.ign.com/articles/avatar-james-cameron-already-shot-scenes-3-and-4-sequels
  33. People.com article
  34. https://collider.com/avatar-4-set-image-stephen-lang/
  35. http://collider.com/avatar-sequels-filming-live-action/
  36. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-alita-avatar-lightstorm-entertainment-jon-landau-20190214-story.html
  37. https://deadline.com/2019/05/star-wars-movies-new-mutants-disney-fox-release-schedule-1202608933/
  38. https://www.instagram.com/p/CC_8Idvg_HL/
  39. https://movieweb.com/avatar-sequel-release-date-changed-disney/
  40. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/avatar-4-is-a-motherfker-james-cameron-says-but-he-might-not-direct-it-if-it-even-gets-made/1100-6505086/
  41. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq6HKsdEN20&t=183

External Links[]

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