James Cameron is one of the biggest filmmakers of all time. The Canadian filmmaker is the mind behind some mammoth films like ‘Titanic‘, ‘Avatar‘, ‘True Lies‘ and the ‘Terminator‘ franchise. He is now gearing up for the sequel, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’
Cameron has been working on the sequel for the past decade with the help of cutting-edge technology. He has planned three more sequels in the franchise that will release in 2028. However, what if this one proves to be a box office bomb? Will he abandon the project?
What If James Cameron-Directed ‘Avatar: The Way of Water‘ Bombs At The Box-Office?
James Cameron blew everyone’s mind back in 2009 with his science fiction epic ‘Avatar‘. It was his pet project that was delayed because the technology to achieve the goal wasn’t available in the late 90s-early 2000s.
He then went on to plan several sequels, five to be more precise. The first of them titled ‘Avatar: The Way of Water‘ is slated to release on December 16. It’s made on a whooping budget of $250 million, making it one of the most expensive films of all time.
The sequels also have planned release dates, 2022, December 20, 2024, December 18, 2026, and December 22, 2028. So it’s a pretty big gamble. A gamble that might pay well since Cameron knows how to make great sequels, ‘Aliens‘ and ‘Terminator 2‘ for example.
If this one bomb at the box office, it will be a setback for Cameron and might affect the fate of the franchise. Cameron in the past has said that if the third film doesn’t work, the rest will not happen. It reeks that the director believes ‘Way of Water‘ will work for sure. 13 years of anticipation and strong marketing might work in its favor. But what if it doesn’t?
Read More: Why Did Edward Norton Say No To James Cameron’s ‘Avatar 2’?
Cameron Will Not Direct The Last Two Sequels
Cameron has spent a large chunk of his life on the ‘Avatar‘ films. It seems that it’s now taking a toll on him as he has said that he might not direct the last two sequels.
“The Avatar films themselves are kind of all-consuming,” he said. “I’ve got some other things I’m developing as well that are exciting. I think eventually over time – I don’t know if that’s after three or after four – I’ll want to pass the baton to a director that I trust to take over, so I can go do some other stuff that I’m also interested in. Or maybe not. I don’t know.”
He talked about the message of the film. “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,” the Canadian filmmaker said.
“I got more excited as I went along. Movie four is a corker. It’s a motherf***er. I actually hope I get to make it. But it depends on market forces. Three is in the can so it’s coming out regardless. I really hope that we get to make four and five because it’s one big story, ultimately,” Cameron concluded.
