As we eagerly await the sequel Avatar: The Way of Water to The Content Company library the question on everyone’s mind has been, why the delay?
It’s been 14 long years since Avatar broke all box office records with its ground-breaking immersive 3D experience. In recent interviews, James Cameron, Director/Producer of the Avatar series, has cited several factors contributing to the delay of its sequel.
Firstly, after the success of Avatar, Cameron wanted to expand the story with not just The Way of Water but also three additional movies, depending on the success of the second sequel. Cameron, known for his success with sequels such as Aliens and Terminator Judgment Day, felt there was more to explore in the Avatar world.
The development of the additional sequels required more time with the scriptwriters and in true Cameron style he took a unique approach and worked with three different teams of scriptwriters to simultaneously develop the scripts in what he termed as ‘a parallel process’. And in order to ensure the Avatar world could be truly appreciated, Cameron spent 6 months putting his Avatar ‘bible’ together, an 800 page document describing in detail his vision for the fantasy world which the teams studied before work began on the scripts. (has this been published? If you know do drop us a line!)
Some scenes for the third and fourth movies were shot simultaneously during the filming of Avatar: The Way of Water with Cameron revealing his reasons to shoot these all at once in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly. Cameron wanted his franchise to avoid what he called the ‘Stranger Things effect’, when child actors grow up so fast in between instalments that eventually they stop resembling children.
His second reason for the delay which has made these sequels groundbreaking, was the need for innovative techniques to create a realistic environment. Cameron and his team developed ground-breaking technology to capture performances underwater, a feat never before accomplished in cinema history. The cast also spent months learning to hold their breath for extended periods to avoid interference from water bubbles and scuba gear during the motion-capture process. (Kate Winslet beating all records here).
Lastly, and if further proof was needed as to Cameron’s desire for perfectionism, the avid deep sea explorer, also took time away to immerse himself in a deep-water dive, becoming the first person to make a solo trip to the deepest ocean point. This experience provided him with invaluable insights and inspiration for the films.
Cameron’s commitment to the Avatar franchise echoes the dedication shown by other accomplished directors like Lucas, who helmed Star Wars, Spielberg, who directed Indiana Jones, and Peter Jackson, who oversaw the productions of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Judging by its box office success Way of Water, which at the time of writing, is the third highest grossing film ever, we can safely assume it has been worth the wait.
Due to the extraordinary run in the cinemas and paid for streaming, Avatar: Way of the Water is due for non-theatrical release in June 2023 with the following sequels due for theatrical release from December 2024.
