Producer Jon Landau hints that Avatar 5 may not be the end of James Cameron's epic franchise. First hitting theaters in 2009, Avatar broke box office records and now stands as the highest-grossing movie of all time. The film tells the story of marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), who attempts to stop the human exploitation of the alien planet Pandora and its native inhabitants, the Na'vi. Avatar's massive success led Disney to announce that 4 sequels were in development, with Avatar: The Way of Water due out later this year.
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The first Avatar sequel is expected to pick up several years after the original film, chronicling Jake and Neytiri's (Zoe Saldana) attempts to protect their family after human forces return to Pandora. The film has been in the works for many years with Cameron returning as director. The first trailer for Avatar 2 teases the film's water-centric locations and a significant leap in terms of CGI technology. Screened exclusively to the audience at Disney's D23 Expo, footage from Avatar: The Way of Water has already wowed audiences, promising an exciting return to Pandora. Although the first sequel hasn't even been released yet, Cameron has already completed filming on the third film in the franchise, with two additional movies still in development.
Speaking with Variety at D23, Landau provides an update on the filming status of the Avatar sequels and hints that the fifth film in the franchise may not be the end. Although confirming that they only have 4 more movies concretely planned, the producer explains that Pandora is a vast world and the story possibilities are virtually endless. Check out Landau's full comment below:
“We have 4 more planned. We have 2, 3, 4, and 5. Those scripts are all written. We’ve completed productions on 2, 3, and part of movie 4, so we’re ready. Let’s get through 2, 3, 4, and 5, and then— look, the ideas are there, the story ideas. You know, Pandora, we always look at as a metaphor for our world and you can tell an unlimited number of stories in our world. You can tell an unlimited number of stories on Pandora.”
Cameron previously suggested that Avatar 4 and 5 coming to fruition might depend upon how well Avatar: The Way of Water performs at the box office, but Landau's comment confirms that production on the fourth film is actually already underway. Although the first film was a major success, it's unclear how audiences will respond to the sequels, especially since they're coming so many years after the original. Landau's comment certainly suggests that Disney is confident in the franchise, however, and that, although there aren't any concrete plans in place, Avatar 5 may not be the last time audiences return to Pandora.
The Pandora depicted in the first Avatar film was a rich and vibrant world, filled with life and its own lore. Avatar: The Way of Water is expected to expand on this even further, depicting different types of Na'vi communities and exploring areas of the planet beyond the dense rainforest of the original film. Even if Avatar 5 is Cameron's last in the franchise and it concludes the stories of Jake and Neytiri, there are still thousands of other Na'vi on the planet, any number of whom could become the subject of additional films in the Avatar universe.