At this point, the idea that anybody would ever bet against James Cameron seems crazy. The man is responsible for three of the highest-grossing movies ever made, and with Avatar: Fire and Ash opening in a couple of months, that number may become four. And yet, there was a time when people were unsure that a Cameron movie would be a massive hit, with quite a few being less than certain about Titanic.

Next month, the memoirs of Cameron’s late producing partner Jon Landau, who passed away last year, will be posthumously published, and Variety has an excerpt from the book, titled The Bigger Picture. In the piece, Landau discusses the difficulty with Titanic’s first trailer, which clocked in at an epic four minutes long. When the cut was first sent to the film’s two studios, Fox and Paramount, it was not received well, with Landau relating…

To be sure, a four-minute trailer is a long trailer for a movie. That said, Titanic is a long movie, and Landau indicates that they simply couldn’t figure out how to boil the movie down any further without losing important elements that were needed to show what the movie was.

Alternate cuts of the trailer were attempted, but Landau says they made Titanic look like an action movie. Landau reveals they were ultimately able to get the approval of Paramount’s CEO to test the trailer at SHOWest, the precursor to the modern CinemaCon event in Las Vegas. If theater owners gave their approval, the trailer could go forward.

Landau says that support from the trailer came from an unlikely source: Kurt Russell, who was there because he also had a Paramount movie getting ready to release, the thriller Breakdown. Landau describes the scenario saying…

Whether the words of Kurt Russell were simply echoing how everybody felt, or Russell actually helped nudge the consensus on the trailer, is unclear. However, theater owners did approve of the four-minute trailer. This actually required a special dispensation from the MPA, as the trailer exceeded limits at the time. And it is one hell of a trailer.

The trailer may be guilty of giving away the entire plot of the movie, but history has shown that didn’t exactly matter. People saw Titanic in droves, making it the highest-grossing movie ever made for years.

Hollywood lost an incredibly influential figure this weekend. Jon Landau, the successful producer best known for his collaborations with director James Cameron, passed away. It was reported that Landau died at 63 following a battle with cancer. Since news of his death broke, a plethora of fans have taken to social media to memorialize the late filmmaker. Now, a number of his collaborators are paying tribute as well. Not only did Cameron himself share some remarks, but Titanic’s Kate Winslet and Avatar’s Zoe Saldaña did as well. 

Kate Winslet notably worked alongside Jon Landau and many others behind the scenes on Titanic, the Oscar-winning 1997 drama that became the highest grossing film of all time. It also brought immense fame for Winslet, who played the role of Rose DeWitt Bukater. Upon learning of Landau’s passing, the actress sent a statement to Deadline in which she shared her remembrances of her late collaborator. While speaking with the trade, the actress noted that she’d been acquainted with the filmmaker “since I was 20 years old.” Winslet lauded Landau as a creative force, saying that “his passion for filmmaking only deepened with age.” She also added the following sentiments: 

Years after working on the historical drama, Kate Winslet and the Campus Man producer would reteam for 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water. That film climbed box office charts to become the third highest grossing film of all time. Another person who worked with them on that movie was, of course, Zoe Saldaña. She played the role of Neytiri in the first two films in the series and was working with the deceased filmmaker again on the forthcoming Avatar 3 and its sequels. Saldaña took to Instagram and paid tribute by sharing a number of photos of her late colleague and she penned a very sweet message in his honor: 

Adding to the chorus of praise for Jon Landau was his good buddy, James Cameron. The Academy Award-winning director shared a statement with Deadline and, with it, he discussed Landau’s legacy. Cameron not only highlighted the former Twentieth Century Fox exec’s legacy but he also spoke to his character as a human being: 

The late Honey, I Shrunk the Kids producer did indeed contribute to “great films,” and his love of the medium was downright electric. Those who followed him on social media surely know just how enthusiastic he was about his work. He was more than game for the “epic undertaking” of making several more Avatar sequels and didn’t mind debunking rumors like that threequel title assumption. Needless to say, this was a man who loved and respected movies, and the industry is a poorer place for not having him. 

Jon Landau’s loss is certainly tremendous, but it’s nothing short of lovely to see so many people giving him his flowers. If anything, Kate Winslet, Zoe Saldaña and James Cameron’s sentiments represent just how many Landau touched people’s lives during his time on earth. He is indeed gone, but he will surely not be forgotten. And we here at CinemaBlend continue to extend our thoughts to Landau’s loved ones during this time.

Hollywood has seen countless producers work within the industry and seek to make their mark on the history of cinema. Although, there are some that manage to make greater impressions than others. One such person would be Jon Landau, the veteran producer best known for his collaborations with director James Cameron on Titanic, Avatar and more. We’ve now sadly learned that Landau has passed away after dealing with an illness. The filmmaker was 63 at the time of his passing. 

News of Jon Landau’s death was provided by a family source, who spoke with TheWrap. Per the unnamed individual, Landau had been diagnosed with cancer, though additional details were not provided. As of this writing, an official statement has yet to be released from the filmmaker’s relatives. In the aftermath of the news coming to light, a number of fans have taken to X to pay tribute to the man who helped build worlds that have been enjoyed on the big screen for so many years. Landau himself was a consistent presence on social media, excitedly sharing tidbits for fans. You can see a post from his visit to Walt Disney Imagineering below:

Born in New York City in 1960, the would-be-filmmaker was the son of film producer and studio exec Ely Landau and film/TV producer Edythe “Edie” Landau. He eventually enrolled at the University of Southern California, where he attended the institution’s School of Cinematic Arts. Early in his career, he served in producing roles on Campus Man, Dick Tracy and the classic Disney movie Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. By the ‘90s, he became Twentieth Century Fox’s executive vice president of feature film production. During his tenure, the studio saw the release of massive hits like Die Hard 2, True Lies and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie. 

Later in the decade though, Jon Landau would see even more success. He worked behind the scenes on Titanic, serving as a producer alongside James Cameron. The film was released to critical acclaim and ultimately won 11 of the 14 Oscars it was nominated for. Within those accolades, Landau won an Academy Award for Best Picture. It was the most expensive film ever made at the time of its release, but it certainly earned back its money. During its initial release, the film finished its theatrical gross with a worldwide total of $1.84 billion. It was the first movie to ever reach the financial benchmark, and it effectively became the highest grossing film of all time.

The aforementioned romance movie would eventually be surpassed, money-wise, by another famous Cameron/Landau collaboration. Said movie is 2009’s Avatar, which opened to positive reviews and eventually claimed the box office throne. Cameron’s sci-fi flick eventually became the first movie to ever hit $2 billion at the global box office and still remains the highest grossing movie of all time. It also received. nine Oscar nominations and won three of the awards. Additionally, its 2022 sequel, The Way of Water, earned massive numbers and currently sits as the third highest grossing movie of all time. (With that, Cameron has directed three of the top movies on that list.) TWoW was also nominated for four Academy Awards.

Among Jon Landau’s other film producing credits are Solaris and Alita: Battle Angel, another collaboration between him and James Cameron. Back in 2022, Landau revealed to CinemaBlend that he was still pushing for an Alita sequel at Disney. Ahead of his passing, he was also working on the upcoming Avatar 3 as well as the other two sequels. In June 2023, Landau posted about the “epic undertaking” of making the films, stressing that each one needed the appropriate time to reach the desired level of quality.

It would be an understatement to say that this is a devastating loss for the film industry and Hollywood as a whole. We’ve lost yet another legendary figure within the entertainment landscape. But what’s comforting, amid this unexpected tragedy is that so many are showing love and indicating just how much they’ve been impacted by the late Avatar producer’s work.

We here at CinemaBlend extend our thoughts and deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Jon Landau at this time. 

Avatar 3 is still more than two years away, and while we do know a bit about the film, as far as where on Pandora it will be set, and a few of the new actors joining the Avatar 3 cast, we don’t know what the movie will actually be called. The third Avatar movie doesn’t have an official title, and the one title that had been previously rumored has now been unequivocally shot down, which is probably a good thing.

A few years back a list of titles for all the Avatar sequels got leaked, and James Cameron eventually confirmed they were real titles that were being considered for the films, though none, at the time, had been decided on. The rumored title for Avatar 2 had been The Way of Water, the title we eventually got, but apparently that won’t be the case for the next movie as franchise producer Jon Landau recently told Comicbook.com that Avatar 3 will not be called The Seed Bearer. He explained… 

When we learned that Avatar 2 would be called The Way of Water, just like the previous rumor had said, it made the rest of the suggested titles that much more likely. I even wrote an entire piece that attempted to glean what the rest of the Avatar movies would be about, based on what happened in Avatar 2 and what those titles were. But The Seed Bearer was always the oddest of the titles, so it’s maybe not a surprise that they decided against this one.

While the movie won’t use that title, it’s probably still a title that would make sense if they were to use it. It’s unlikely the movie has gone through any sort of changes that would make the title irrelevant. Whether this means Avatar 3 has an official title, or just that Landau and James Cameron have decided they don’t like The Seed Bearer, is unclear.

At this point the Avatar 3 details that we have indicate the story will shift from the oceans of Pandora to the volcanic mountains. We’ll meet the Na’vi that call that area home. While The Way of Water made a lot of sense considering where the movie was set, The Seed Bearer doesn’t give us that same information, at least not with the information we have. 

For the record, Jon Landau’s Wikipedia page has yet to be changed, and it does still list him as a producer of a movie called Avatar: The Seed Bearer, though the link just takes you to the Avatar 3 page, without any official subtitle. It seems that should be changed, however. Because whatever the movie will be called, it apparently won’t be titled that.

After more than a decade of development, the fact that Avatar: The Way of Water actually made it to the screen was something of a miracle. A lot of people wondered if we would ever see the long-awaited sequels, but the fact that we got the first one, and that Avatar 2 was a massive hit, seemed to make the rest all but assured. However, yesterday we learned that the wait is far from over. The other three Avatar movies are still happening, but they were all just delayed. After the fact though, franchise producer Jon Landau shared an optimistic update.

The House of Mouse performed the company's semi-regular release date shuffle and now several upcoming Disney movies have new release dates. While Deadpool 3 actually moved up the calendar, several other projects including multiple Marvel and Star Wars projects were delayed, but Avatar actually faired the worst. All three remaining movies in the series saw their release dates pushed back, with even the already-filmed third installment being delayed a year. Later on, Jon Landau took to Instagram to assure fans that making the movies as good as they can be is the reason for the delay and that everybody is working hard on the next film as we speak. It would seem that these movies are just so epically big that the delay could not be avoided. Check out the post:

The delays of the fourth and fifth movies probably aren't all that shocking, as those flicks haven’t begun production. We don’t even know when that will happen for sure at this point. With all the delays that the second installment went through, it would be a shock to see those movies hit their previous dates without incident. But considering that the threequel was filmed alongside The Way of Water, there was perhaps an expectation that it would meet its 2024 release date without any additional incident. Some of us even hoped the third outing could be released earlier than planned.

Considering that all three remaining movies saw the same delay, the issue in this case seems to be that James Cameron and company underestimated how long the post-production process would take for each movie. Now, all three films will have an additional year to work, which, considering that every single moment of screen time requires extensive CGI work, is probably for the best. Let's hope Jon Landau, James Cameron and co. make the most of their time.

We’ve heard stories about post-production work being rushed, the digital effects houses doing it being overworked, and the films suffering as a result. While fans of the Pandora-set series are certainly not happy about a delay, Avatar: The Way of Water's ending likely has everybody excited for more. Odds are they would be even less happy by a subpar film, so this decision is likely an overall positive. Disney certainly wouldn’t have pushed back the release unless it was seen as necessary. 

The result, however, is that the franchise completion has been pushed back by years, with Avatar 5 now set to open in December 2031. It will be eight years from now before we actually see the end of this story. And that assumes that it (and the fourth film) aren’t delayed further, which could very well happen. Avatar will be more than 20 years old before it is done, and Jon Landau seems sure it all be worth the wait. 

James Cameron has made three of the most successful movies at the global box office that have ever been created. However, not everything he touches turns to gold. The Cameron-produced Alita: Battle Angel, while it has become a cult hit, wasn’t the success it needed to be in order to get its much-needed sequel, but that second film might still happen. Cameron’s producing partner Jon Landau says conversations about a sequel are happening, and Avatar: The Way of Water is going to help.

There is a very loud contingent of fans who are passionate about Robert Rodriguez’s Alita: Battle Angel, but the movie wasn’t a runaway box office smash, and with Disney’s purchase of Fox, the future of the franchise is still very much an open question. However, Jon Landau tells ScreenRant that he is hopeful that the technical advancements made in producing Avatar: The Way of Water would make an Alita sequel even better. And it’s not entirely theoretical, as there is work being done toward making an Alita sequel happen. Landau said…

James Cameron isn’t just about making crowd-pleasing movies. He’s always interested in finding new ways to use technology and ways to push that technology to new heights. And as Landau says here, the technology builds on itself. The producer says that creating Alita: Battle Angel made Avatar: The Way of Water better, and in turn the advances made with Avatar can feed back into an Alita sequel.

And there are other ways that Avatar’s success may help Alita. To put it bluntly, when you make a studio a couple of billion dollars, you have a lot more bargaining power. Cameron himself has said he leveraged Titanic’s success with Fox in order to get the first Avatar made. It’s quite possible that he could do something similar with Disney, talking them into making Alita: Battle Angel 2 as something of a reward to him for the success of Avatar 2, and the likely success of the three additional Avatar movies that are on the way. 

Alita: Battle Angel made $400 million at the global box office, and another $50 million in home media sales. Based on estimates, it may have broken even, or at worst lost a few million, but even if a sequel followed suit, the Avatar franchise will certainly pay for it. So maybe it will happen. 

Filmmaker James Cameron is known for being a visionary filmmaker, and for being behind three of the highest grossing movies of all time. Two of these titles are from the Avatar franchise, which is expected to release three more movies over the next few years. We know that Cameron filmed the first two sequels simultaneously, but the next Avatar movies are farther along that you might think.

James Cameron’s original Avatar movie helped to revitalize the 3D industry, and was wildly successful upon its release. Avatar 2 may have arrived nearly a decade later, but its performance at the box office showed that the public is still invested in the saga on Pandora. The next few sequels aren’t expected to take nearly as long, and producer Jon Landau recently spoke at a press event for the Avatar: The Way of Water digital release regarding just how much footage has already been captured, saying:

Talk about a productive filming period. It turns out that James Cameron and company filmed two full movies and the first part of Avatar 4 all at once. Obviously there’s a ton of work still to be done with visual effects and motion capture, but it seems like Cameron and company are very clear on the story that’s being told. Give us the threequel already!

Jon Landau’s comments about the future Avatar sequels show how methodically James Cameron has approached his ambitious sci-fi franchise. And it sounds like they only need to film enough footage to complete the fourth installment, and then finish it all up with Avatar 5. I’m super curious about when this will occur, especially if production will once again occur in New Zealand. 

Despite any worries about the long wait between films, Avatar: The Way of Water ended up being wildly successful when it was released back in December. While audiences were all too happy to return to the magical world of Pandora, the first sequel definitely left a ton of questions unanswered about what comes next. And as such, it’s going to be a hard wait until Avatar 3 hits theaters in December of 2024.

Considering just how far into filming James Cameron is with the Avatar franchise, there are definitely some moviegoers who want to see him and Disney change their mind and give us the threequel this coming December. But that doesn’t seem too likely; the extra time should allow for the visual effects to end up as gorgeous as they were in the previous two entries. 

Avatar 3 is currently expected to arrive in theaters on December 20th, 2024. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Thanks to the success of Avatar: The Way of Water, James Cameron is focused on the sequels he’s officially committed to delivering. As Avatar 3 and parts of Avatar 4 are already being filmed, the road to the future is pretty well paved for these sci-fi movies. That’s the advantage of having your story written so far ahead, which producer Jon Landau has once again used to tease the franchise at large. The latest update hints at why Avatar 5 is heading to Earth.

Empire’s latest issue (via Variety) contains a talk with producer Jon Landau, who revealed some more details about Neytiri’s eventual voyage to Earth. The state of the planet is a key factor in what creator/director James Cameron’s overall message, which is confirmed in Landau’s remarks below: 

We were reminded of the dire situation of Earth in Avatar: The Way of Water, as part of the film’s exposition revealed that the new focus of the RDA’s intentions for Pandora is colonization. Continuing to push forward the narrative that Jake Sully’s home planet isn’t quite as bountiful as it once was, the dialogue invoked the little bit of Earth we did see in 2009’s Avatar, mostly through deleted scenes that were added into the Special Edition version of the movie. 

Current plans for the franchise see Avatar 5 as the potential finale, despite James Cameron starting to play with early plans for Avatar 6 and 7. If this is indeed the capstone entry in one of the highest grossing sagas of all time, a trip to the third rock from the Sun seems like an appropriate measure to help close things out properly. Just as Jake's eyes were opened to the plight of the Na'vi, Neytiri's visit to the wounded Earth could be the key to uniting humans and their interstellar neighbors once and for all. 

While some are hoping that Avatar 3 will be released sooner than expected, at the very least, James Cameron has assured us that the wait shouldn’t be longer than two years after The Way of Water. So the current release date of December 20, 2024 is a pretty safe bet as the latest we’ll be seeing Jake Sully and his family return to the big screen. For a look at the movies arriving in theaters within the next year, our 2023 new movie releases schedule is all you need to keep your cinematic calendar sorted. 

Spoilers ahead for Avatar: The Way of Water.

After over a decade of waiting James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water finally arrived in theaters over the holidays, and has continued to make money at the box office in the weeks since. This is a great sign for the burgeoning franchise, revealing that there is still interest in the ongoing story set on Pandora. And Avatar’s producer recently revealed the big questions surrounding the threequel after The Way of Water’s events. So, what’s next for the Sully family?

The ending of Avatar: The Way of Water largely saw our protagonists come out on top, but not without sacrifice. Jake and Neytiri’s oldest son Neteyam died saving the other kids, and that grief ended up fueling the final scenes. The family also continues living with Spider, who is actually Quaritch’s son. Producer Jon Landau spoke to Empire about the future of the franchise, and about how the second movie will influence what comes next. As he put it,

I don’t know about you, but suddenly the wait for Avatar 3 feels excruciatingly long. Especially since the movie was filmed years ago and is presumably fairly close to completion. Alas, we’ll have to wait until December 2024 to see how the Sully family has changed since their latest conflict with the RDA and their continued life with the Metkayina. And seems like their communal mourning will be a major influence on the next chapter.

Jon Landau’s comments make a great deal of sense given the final act of Avatar: The Way of Water. Neytiri almost becomes feral after the death of Neteyam, brutally murdering RDA agents and threatening the life of Spider in the process. And in the final moments of the film, she connects with the spirit tree and is able to release memories of her first born. It’ll be fascinating to see how that continued grief changes Zoe Saldaña’s character.

The contents of Avatar 3 are currently a complete mystery, although James Cameron has teased that yet another tribe of the Na’vi will be introduced. Namely the Ash People, who might be antagonistic to other clans. Could this conflict mirror a fracture in the Sully family? Only time will tell.

Since the first two Avatar sequels were filmed simultaneously, James Cameron’s next chapter of the franchise is already seemingly set in stone. If all goes well, two more movies will follow afterward to complete the filmmaker’s five-film narrative. But if the box office performance of The Way of Water is any indication, the franchise could have some real legs.

Avatar: The Way of Water is still in theaters now, and Avatar 3 will follow suit on December 20th, 2014. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Among the star-studded actors involved in James Cameron’s Avatar sequels, many believed over the past few years that Vin Diesel would be one of those actors. The Fast and Furious star previously hinted that it was “safe to say” him and the visionary filmmaker would be working together after sharing a video of himself and Cameron on the set of an Avatar film back in 2019. But as it turns out, Diesel is not set to play a character in upcoming Avatar movies, per one of the movies’ producers. 

When Jon Landau, who produced Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water alongside James Cameron, was recently asked about Vin Diesel’s involvement in future movies set in Pandora, he broke the big news. As it turns out, Diesel isn’t part of the high-grossing franchise after all. As Landau explained: 

During an interview with Empire, the Avatar producer shared that it all was a misunderstanding where people took a set visit out of context. To take you back to the source, back in April 2019, Vin Diesel shared the following Instagram video: 

Based on that video, it certainly doesn’t seem like a stretch to imagine that if Diesel is next to James Cameron and on the set of an Avatar sequel, that he might be among the cast. In the video, the Fast and Furious star said the collaboration was “long overdue,” along with saying Cameron was the “one person in Hollywood” the actor has “always wanted to work with and learn from.” He capped off the video by saying that all good things come to “those who wait,” but in retrospect, perhaps he was simply referring to getting to be in his presence on the set of the film for the day.

Two months later, Diesel was asked about the Avatar set visit and he seemed to tease he and Cameron would be working together. The actor said that he had not filmed “yet,” but had “spent time with him” and seemingly confirmed a collaboration was coming. It is, of course, possible that the pair had planned to work together and something fell through, but per the Avatar producer's comments, it was all taken out of context. Plus, Diesel is very much busy wrapping up the Fast and Furious movies anyway. 

Less than two weeks ago, Diesel posted a sweet photo and message alongside Tyrese Gibson regarding the pair getting ready for the “release of the finale” over 20 years following the original Fast and Furious movie. The next installment in Universal’s blockbuster action franchise is among 2023’s movie releases, with Fast X hitting theaters on May 19. As far as Avatar movies go, there’s expected to be three more sequels from James Cameron, with Avatar 3 expected in December 2024. 

It’s almost hard to believe that 13 years after the original, the slate of new movie releases finally sees the release of Avatar: The Way of Water making its way to theaters. Fans of James Cameron’s record-setting franchise starter kept the faith through delays, setbacks and pitfalls, with their patience being rewarded in the days to come. So it only seems appropriate that some of those fans are also part of the army of Alita: Battle Angel devotees, and their continued inspiration to producer Jon Landau couldn’t have come at a better time.

As our own Sean O’Connell spoke with Landau during 20th Century Studios’ press day for Avatar: The Way of Water, the potential sequel for director Robert Rodriguez’s cult favorite led to a rather interesting story. Asked about the efforts for that next chapter, Landau told CinemaBlend the following: 

Picturing a bunch of Disney execs getting an email with Jon Landau's photo of this Alita: Battle Angel ad is something that's sure to bring a smile to the face of fans far and wide. If anyone in that position thought they could escape the buzz for continuing that trilogy, Landau has proven his high placed aid for the cause has made that just a bit more implausible. 

For those who haven’t been following the Alita sequel push, back in September, the Alita Army took out that ad in the Los Angeles Times that Jon Landau had mentioned. Similar to campaigns to raise awareness through Alita: Battle Angel-themed billboards, art from Alita: Battle Angel’s original theatrical release was tweaked to carry this message loud and clear. 

Landau’s not just talking a big game about supporting the Alita Army either. Throughout his social media presence, you can see his support of the fans is as strong as it was from day one. The latest evidence, of course, was his reaction to that message discussed above, which you can see for yourself: 

If there’s a patron saint for the hypothetical sequel Alita: Fallen Angel, it has to be Saint Jon himself. Even without direct mention of the cinematic adaptation based on author/artist Yukito Kishiro’s work, Jon Landau has given hopeful updates that indicate the eagerness of returning to this particular world. And he’s not the only party looking to bring Doc Ido’s cyber girl into the limelight again. Earlier this year, Rosa Salazar proved to be just as determined to make an Alita sequel, with Robert Rodriguez and James Cameron also being mentioned as equally eager co-conspirators.

Pushing for the continuation of Alita: Battle Angel’s epic story isn’t an issue that’s going away anytime soon. Even if the fans were to lose hope completely, a scenario that truly pushes the definition of sci-fi, Jon Landau and his collaborators would more than likely still keep up the fight. If fans can wait over a decade for a slew of Avatar sequels, then you can bet their resolve is equal to, if not stronger to that faith when it applies to an Alita sequel.

Fingers crossed it doesn’t take that long to get the greenlight, as Avatar: The Way of Water’s intended success could boost those efforts with a massive win. The film opens in theaters as early as Thursday afternoon, so anyone looking to keep pushing for Alita's cause may want to help boost the numbers at the box office this weekend. As for those of you who want to revisit, or even introduce yourselves to the wonders of Alita: Battle Angel, that movie is available for streaming to those with a Hulu subscription. 

The fanbase behind Alita: Battle Angel’s continued presence in the media are always on the lookout for news pertaining to the film’s long hoped-for sequel. As the new movie release Avatar: The Way of Water has seen producer Jon Landau making the rounds, the press have been asking him some questions about where things stand with that potential project. On the heels of Landau’s recent hopeful Alita update, some more information has come out in yet another interview, and you can sign me up for this flick now!

Speaking with ComicBook.com, Jon Landau was asked if the potential sequel to director Robert Rodriguez’s anime adaptation is any closer to happening. Keeping hope alive, the producer of both Alita and Avatar had this to say on the proposed project: 

While there’s still no new time frame for the potentially titled Alita: Fallen Angel, we have a little more insight into what that recent conversation between Jon Landau and Robert Rodriguez entailed. Pride for that 2019  action/adventure flick is high, as always, and there are already more stories that are ready to go, should the producers receive the green light for more entries in this would-be franchise.

Between the 600-page treatment James Cameron wrote for Alita: Battle Angel, and part of the plan always involving Alita’s Motorball career, sequels were always in mind for this fictional universe. An entire trilogy was laid out from the first frame, but Robert Rodriguez created an ending to Alita that teases the future while providing a satisfying closure. So whether a follow-up happens or not, the story feels complete in its own way.

That being said, Jon Landau, Robert Rodriguez, and even Rosa Salazar herself aren’t quite satisfied with leaving the story where it currently sits. It’s something the fans and creatives alike can agree on, which could align the stars for a second installment sooner rather than later. Hope still springs eternal, and the crusade to return to Iron City and beyond has only just begun. 

If you’re an Alita: Battle Angel fan with a Hulu subscription, then you shouldn’t stand by and let your chance to revisit the film pass. As it was recently added to the Hulu library after absent from subscription-based streaming services for some time, there’s always the possibility that good viewing numbers would only build the case for a sequel all the stronger. 

Which also means that if you have even a passing interest in Avatar: The Way of Water, you should head out to a theater near you starting on December 16 and boost that film as well. As that property has always been the creative sibling to Alita, a win for James Cameron could be a win for Iron City.

Avatar mania is about to break out around the world thanks to The Way of Water’s imminent debut in theaters. New movie releases slotted for December are naturally trembling, as James Cameron’s return to Pandora could be the most anticipated film event of 2022, with at least three more sequels being planned. 

However, producer Jon Landau isn’t just seeing blue in his future, because at the premiere for Avatar: The Way of Water, he gave a hopeful update on where the potential sequel to Alita: Battle Angel currently stands. While talking to Deadline on the blue carpet for this latest potential blockbuster, Landau was asked about what projects he was looking forward to tackling outside of Avatar. Bringing a smile to his face, here’s what he had to say: 

 It’s hard not to get excited about an update such as this, especially when it’s been so long since we’ve heard anything about the Alita sequel. Earlier this year, Rosa Salazar confirmed that James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez are still “trying like hell” to make Alita: Fallen Angel happen, which is just as hopeful. 

What’s even more exciting is that Rodriguez is still talking about the film with Jon Landau, as the last we’d heard from the man, he was banking on Disney+’s The Book of Boba Fett to help the cause. While he continues to keep busy through a raft of projects throughout various streaming platforms, to even have Alita: Battle Angel still on Robert Rodriguez’s radar is saying something.

Part of those priorities is a Spy Kids reboot at Netflix, on top of the sequel the Alita director's streaming hit We Can Be Heroes. So it's not like Rodriguez has a shortage of other worlds he's looking to flesh out. Yet again, the crazy faith and devotion of those involved with the first Alita movie rages on, continuing to keep fans as invested as the creatives. 

Even with Avatar: The Way of Water dominating the conversation, to hear Jon Landau banging the drums to keep those sequel hopes alive is a beautiful thing to see. Should Avatar 2 mark the beginning of a promising continuation that spans into the potential Avatar 6 and 7, one could hope that he and James Cameron would use some of that clout to give this battle angel her wings. 

Whether you’re hyping up Avatar or Alita: Battle Angel, the Disney Bundle has you covered! The original Avatar has rejoined the ranks at Disney+, so you can brush up on the previous adventure handily enough. Meanwhile, Alita has just returned to streaming herself, so anyone with a Hulu subscription can salute her epic, and hopefully continuing, journey.

Over a decade ended up passing between Avatar and the release of Avatar: The Way of Water, but assuming there aren’t any major shakeups in the schedule of upcoming movies, we won’t have to wait nearly as long for the next three sequels. Starting with The Way of Water hitting theaters in December, there will be a new Avatar movie released every other December up to 2028, meaning that Avatar 4 isn’t coming out until the end of 2026. And yet, producer Jon Landau has revealed that a key part of Avatar 4 has already been shot.

With a little over two months to go until James Cameron finally delivers Avatar 2 after all this time, Jon Landau spoke at the Busan International Film Festival after showcasing 15 of footage from the sequel. Along with talking up the dazzling technology on display in The Way of Water, Landu informed Variety that most of Avatar 4’s opening act has is finished, saying:

The public still has under half a decade to go Avatar 4 is in front of their eyeballs, but for reasons that Jon Landau didn’t elaborate upon, it was necessary for its first act to be shot now rather than later on in the production. Hopefully once the movie is out, Jon Landau will explain why this needed to be handled years ahead of time, but at least this is a good sign for Avatar fans that Avatar 4 will actually happen, as opposed to being one of those sequels that’s announced far in advance, but never moves forward. I’m looking at you, The Amazing Spider-Man 3.

Since much of Avatar: The Way of Water is shrouded in mystery, needless to say that it will be a long time until any specifics about Avatar 4. That being said, Jon Landau did mention that with each new Avatar movie, a new Pandoran culture will be spotlighted alongside the ones introduced in the prior entries. As he put it:

Among the actors who have been confirmed to appear in Avatar 4 are Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, Matt Gerald, Dileep Rao and David Thewlis. Once we see Avatar 4’s first act unfold towards the end of 2026, then we’ll know who participated in this shoot so far ahead of time. If you’re looking to return to Pandora ahead of Avatar: The Way of Water’s release, the original James Cameron-helmed movie has wisely been re-released in theaters, and it includes exclusive footage of the next sequel that shows off James Cameron’s dazzling underwater technology.

Avatar: The Way of Water comes out on December 16, and like its predecessor was for a long time (and surely will be again soon), it’ll eventually become available to stream with a Disney+ subscription. CinemaBlend will continue passing along updates on the progress of the three other Avatar sequels in the years ahead.

The Avatar sequels spent so long in development hell it was easy to start to believe we would never actually see them. So many movies that have been through less have fallen apart before ever being made, and yet, Avatar: The Way of Water is almost here. It’s taking another big step toward its release this December, as the score is now being recorded. Luckily the musicians don’t need to work underwater. 

Avatar 2 producer Jon Landau’s Instagram has been a great place to follow the progress of the long awaited Avatar sequels, and now it has shown us that the production has reached the point where the score for the new film is being recorded. Score recording is one of the last major elements to be added to a movie, so this movie is very nearly complete. 

Avatar’s Score Is Being Recorded 

Considering how late in the process the score is usually composed, it’s sort of amazing that we’re here. Considering how long James Cameron spent writing these movies and how many times the release date was pushed back, it would have been easy to assume these sequels were never really going to happen. But as with every behind-the-scenes shot of production we’ve seen, this one shows us just how real it all is. 

The score for Avatar: The Way of Water has been composed by Simon Franglen. He’s taking over from James Horner, who handled the music for the original Avatar, as well as for many of James Cameron’s other films. Unfortunately, Horner passed away in 2015. Franglen certainly isn’t new to the world of Pandora, however. He worked with Horner on the original film, and he also composed all the music found at Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Pandora - The World of Avatar. 

Avatar 2’s Extensive Underwater Production 

The good news for everybody making the music for Avatar: The Way of Water is that they’re not actually going to be required to deal with actual water. The production of the Avatar sequel was absolutely unique in the way in which so much of it was literally filmed underwater. Actors had to learn to hold their breath for extended periods in order to complete takes. The people making the Aquaman movies didn’t have to deal with this.

It will never be said that Jams Cameron does not go hard. Most of his movies have pushed the limits of filmmaking in ways most of us would never guess. The question now is how those other three Avatar movies, that we now have to believe we will actually see, will impress us even more. 

There's a lot we know about Avatar 2 and the upcoming installments in the franchise; in fact, writer/director James Cameron made it known that the underwater worlds of Pandora’s universal neighborhood would be important in future installments. Judging by all of the underwater hijinks we’ve seen from the set of the long-awaited sequel, that promise is going to be very much fulfilled. Recently, producer Jon Landau even shared a badass story about Kate Winslet’s underwater skills, and how she impressed him during one particular day on the Avatar 2 shoot.

Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 in particular take place in predominantly aquatic settings, as noted in a piece from EW. Speaking with the publication, Landau reinforced that very notion with a story about Ms. Winslet being exceedingly comfortable with her surroundings. As you’ll read below, those “surroundings” were challenging at best, and daunting at their worst:

I can't imagine what just being around a-list actors working on their breathing on the huge Avatar 2 set would be like, but Jon Landau does. What he's describing with Kate Winslet is the product of a four-week training regimen. Winslet had to develop underwater skills along with other cast members so they could film underwater as long as they could; without a breathing apparatus. Apparently, according to James Cameron, any sort of scuba gear being worn by the actors would have ruined the motion capture process. Needing to stay underwater for long stretches of time is difficult, but to do so and not get the shot you’re looking to land, I would imagine would be painful for everyone involved.

Stories like Kate Winslet and her ability to stay underwater for around 7 minutes -- yes, you read that right-- minutes at a time are exactly what make productions like Avatar 2 all the more mythic to behold. Throwing in a pair of heavy wings as part of a ceremonial sequence that took place on the bottom of that pool only ups the ante. Ms. Winslet certainly wasn’t phased after a certain point, as those long minutes gave her the confidence she needed. 

With the first sequel already completed, and Avatar 3 mostly filmed on the live-action front, James Cameron and Jon Landau are on their way to finally delivering the long-promised tales of Jake Sully and his future with Netyri on Pandora. Knowing that they’ve been able to train their cast to perform like champs underwater, it must seem like the sky is the limit for what can happen in Avatar 4 and Avatar 5.

Provided no further schedule shakeups are encountered, Avatar 2 should be hitting theaters on its currently planned date of December 16, 2022. There’s some interesting competition on the high seas in that release window, as you’ll see in the full lineup of 2022 movies headed to theaters in the year to come. Make no mistake though, this film does exist, and the countdown is on until the world gets its first look at what the results entail. Meanwhile, you can watch the original Avatar, just in case you need a bit of a refresher, on Disney+.

James Cameron is a prolific filmmaker who is known for pushing the boundaries of visual effects and cinematography-- all while breaking box office records. 2009’s Avatar was no exception, although it’s taken over ten years for the sequels to finally arrive in theaters. And one producer explained the biggest “strength” Avatar 2 will bring to the big screen.

After some years in development hell, James Cameron began shooting the next two Avatar sequels starting in 2017. Concrete information about the first follow-up movie is fairly limited, but it’s expected to greatly expand the world of Pandora. Producer Jon Landau has been sharing glimpses from the set, and recently explained how the story of Avatar 2 will be able to resonate with audiences. As he put it,

While the burgeoning Avatar franchise is set on a fictional planet full of giant blue creatures called the Na’vi, it seems that James Cameron and company still found a way to make the sequels relatable. Namely because we’ll be following Sully and Neytiri’s family as they unite with other clans and attempt to protect their planet.

Jon Landau’s comments to Total Film shows how methodically James Cameron and company have been approaching the Avatar sequels. In addition to the extensive motion capture and visual effects necessary to create the world of Pandora, the mysterious story is just as important. We’ll just have to see exactly how the Sully family ultimately functions as a unit throughout the course of Avatar 2.

Not much is known about the contents of Avatar 2, except that it’ll pick up years after the events of the first movie. While Jake Sully and Neytiri have children of their own on Pandora, they’ll have to leave their home and explore other locations on the planet when the RDA returns to finish what they started. This time the various Na’vi tribes will have to unite in order to defend their home, and the precious natural resources that the planet sits upon.

In addition to the various returning characters expected to appear in Avatar 2, James Cameron and company will also be introducing a number of new characters to the story. This includes Kate Winslet’s newcomer Ronal, who is a free-diving Na’vi from the Metkayina clan. Winslet went viral when set photos revealed her shooting at the bottom of a pool, holding her breath for an insane amount of time in the process. 

Avatar 2 is currently expected to arrive in theaters on December 16th, 2022. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Jon Favreau has not exactly been shy about displaying his love of emerging film technologies. Back in the 1990s he was an independent writer and director making movies like Swingers and Made, but more recently he has gone all in on digital filmmaking – pushing limits with projects like The Jungle Book, The Lion King, and The Mandalorian. So is anybody really surprised that he took some time to poke his head in on what's happening with James Cameron's Avatar 2?

With the release of the blockbuster sequel still a couple years away, fans anticipating the movie have been left to subsist on little nuggets dropped on social media, and this week we got a great one. While it's not entirely clear when the photo was taken, producer Jon Landau has provided a cool look behind-the-scenes of Avatar 2 on his Instagram page that features a cool cameo from Jon Favreau:

The production of Avatar 2 has split time between the United States and New Zealand, and when things were in full swing in Los Angeles Jon Favreau apparently came by to check out what's happening. As alluded to, he had his first taste of filming on digital backlots with the making of The Jungle Book in 2016, and since then it has become a massive part of his career. As a result, it makes all kinds of sense that he would be interested in seeing what James Cameron is up to with Avatar 2, as Cameron is another filmmaker who has demonstrated a heightened interest in the intersection of movies and technology. There are surely a lot of film nerds who would love to learn what they are talking about in this photo.

With the first Avatar, James Cameron waited years and years for computers and software to catch up with his vision, and now that we are more than a decade removed from the release of that movie it's hard not to be curious what he's cooking up this time. Filmmaking has changed a lot since 2009, but there will be tremendous expectations for Avatar 2 to feature cutting edge material, and the kind of footage that creates should be fascinating.

Set to feature returning stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and more, Avatar 2 will pick up on Pandora more than a decade after the events of the first movie and find a peaceful life being lived on the planet disrupted by a returning threat. Preliminary shooting began all the way back in August 2017, and live action filming ended in September 2020.

With the next season of The Mandalorian (not to mention a number of other Star Wars Disney+ shows) set to air before the release of Avatar 2, it's entirely possible that we will see the influence this little set visit had on Jon Favreau long before James Cameron's epic actually hits the big screen. We'll just have to wait and see.

Avatar 2 is currently scheduled to hit theaters on December 16, 2022.

The global health crisis has led to a number of high-profile productions being put on hold over the past several months. This includes the long-awaited Avatar 2, which was set to continue work in New Zealand before plans changed. However, producer Jon Landau has been keeping movie buffs up to date on the film’s production status and recently confirmed that shooting would begin soon. Well, things are finally kicking off, as the crew has now arrived in New Zealand.

John Landau posted a photo to his Instagram page that showed both he and director James Cameron after landing in New Zealand. In the pics, the two are also sporting masks and helmets but seem ready to get back to work. You can check out Landau’s pic for yourself:

Although things appear to be starting back up again for Avatar, it should be mentioned that the film won’t start shooting immediately. New Zealand’s government-enforced, 14-day self-isolation protocol is still in place, meaning that filming probably won’t start until the middle of the month. Nevertheless, this is a significant step for a film that was already having a rough road to the big screen.

Last year, James Cameron confirmed that the motion capture work for both Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 had been completed. With this, the work in New Zealand revolves around the remaining live-action footage that still needs to be shot.

Even though live-action, principal photography had to be put on the back burner, post-production duties on Avatar 2 were still able to continue. This includes work with the visual effects companies and beginning the early stages of cutting the film in the editing room.

James Cameron has expressed disappointment with the fact that things had to shut down on the live-action side, as he would honestly prefer to be on set. And with everything he and his team have planned for these films (from a technological standpoint) you can imagine that he would be eager to get back to get back into the field. He did, however, express gratitude in the fact that New Zealand has been taking thorough measures in making sure that production could continue.

Actual plot details on Avatar 2, or any of the sequels for that matter, are currently being kept tight under wraps. Thanks to John Landau, what we do know is that Jake and Neytiri – who have now started a family – will be forced to leave their home and explore different regions of Pandora.

There’s no doubt that Avatar 2 just took a major step forward and, with so little left to shoot, production should be completed fairly soon. With this, the cast and crew can only hope they won’t experience any further setbacks. Avatar 2 is still set to arrive in theaters on December 17, 2021.

It’s a wild time to be involved in a fanbase. Supporters of filmmakers like Zack Snyder or David Ayer are seeing incredible progress in their campaigns to get unreleased versions of movies like Justice League and Suicide Squad released. And people like Snyder and Ayer are lending their support to the online efforts, blurring the line between filmmaker and fan when it comes to restoring artistic integrity, usually in the name of a good cause.

A similar campaign has sprung up around Robert Rodriguez’s Alita: Battle Angel in recent years, with fans clamoring for a sequel to the movie (which ended on a significant cliffhanger). The movie’s star, Rosa Salazar, and its producer, Jon Landau, have encouraged the fan base to make noise so that Disney hears them. And their latest campaign has a component to raise awareness, while also benefitting an important charity.

Inspired by a recent Instagram post by Jon Landau, the Alita Army is raising funds to pay for a digital billboard that they will purchase on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. Their goal will be to run an ad for an Alita: Battle Angel sequel 30 times per hour. They raised $1,617 in six hours to complete the transaction, and this will allow the billboard to run from June 1 to June 7.

Here was the Landau post that triggered the billboard campaign.

However, the Alita Army is taking a page out of the Release the Snyder cut playbook. In addition to raising funds to pay for the Los Angeles billboard that would call for the Alita sequel, the group also has called attention to an Amazon Wish List promoted by Rosa Salazar that allows patrons to purchase essential items for homeless people. Salazar says that she has bene getting DMs asking how fans can pitch in after they saw her making donations to homeless in her community. This inspired the Alita Army to get involved, and you can read all about their efforts on this page.

Normally, I’d never really know how any of this might shake out. We never dreamed that Zack Snyder’s Justice League would get released, and now it’s coming to HBO Max. Robert Rodriguez’s Alita: Battle Angel made $404 million worldwide, and movies that made less have received sequels. So anything is possible, even though Fox (which backed Alita) is now owned by Disney, and a sequel to Alita likely would be pretty expensive.

But so long as there’s hope, the Alita Army will fight… and do a little good for the world in the process.

How much does Alita weigh? It’s probably not a question you should ask Rosa Salazar’s doe-eyed cyborg from this year’s Alita: Battle Angel, but is a point of particular interest to some fans. It’s also something that the filmmakers took into consideration when making this year’s cyberpunk film, which is coming back into the conversation as we enter awards season, with its sights set on an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. In an exclusive interview with CinemaBlend’s own Sean O’Connell, producer Jon Landau revealed that yes, Alita: Battle Angel spent a lot of time figuring out the lead character’s complicated weight. He said:

After producer James Cameron worked on Alita: Battle Angel for years before handing off to director Robert Rodriguez, along with hundreds of pages of notes, Alita’s weight is something that they accounted for and something that informed the film and the performances. As Jon Landau told Sean, Alita’s two bodies in Alita: Battle Angel are played as each having a different weight.

The first body we see Alita get in the film is a bone-colored body that looks like porcelain covered in filigree. This body, given to Alita by Doc Ido and originally designed for his daughter, is meant to be lighter. And while Alita has no difficulty powering this body, it is also not meant to her and that’s why we later see her drawn to another body. Rosa Salazar knew all of this and took it into her performance when moving around as the character.

The second body is the sleek metal Berserker Body, which is much heavier and requires more energy to power. While being heavier, it’s also meant for Alita and when she gets this body there’s a confidence in her movement that is different than what we see in the ‘doll body.’ She is heavy but she can still do a handstand on one finger thanks to her heart. Alita’s heart is ultra-powerful and before it was a V12 in the body of a practical passenger car, but when you put it in a Lamborghini the result is something else entirely.

So although the visual effects in Alita: Battle Angel are just pixels and have no physical weight, through the way they are both animated and inhabited by Rosa Salazar onscreen, they are given a sense of weight. Jon Landau didn’t offer up specific figures as to what number reads out when Alita steps on a scale, but it is clearly something that they paid attention to when making Alita: Battle Angel.

The question of Alita’s weight is something of a mystery because of how heavy she is in both the manga and film. In Alita: Battle Angel, there are moments that make her seem extraordinarily heavy and others that seemingly contradict that. For example, while in the doll body, she sinks easily to the bottom of the lake where the URM ship is crashed. But we also see Doc Ido lift her, both from the scrap yard and after her fight with Grewishka.

I sort of take this as a combination of Doc Ido being strong and Alita’s sinking having something to do with her being less buoyant. But some might see it as an inconsistency. Whatever the case, no matter how much she weighs, Alita looks awesome onscreen. Alita: Battle Angel is hoping to get the attention of Academy voters for a VFX nod and all you have to do is watch the film to see why it’s worthy.

Alita: Battle Angel takes a character that should have been firmly in uncanny valley territory and makes her one of the most endearing characters we’ve seen all year, fully realized and deeply human. She’s a character we’re hoping to see more of and according to Jon Landau, the Alita Army just needs to keep up the fight and not stand by in the absence of an Alita sequel.

Alita: Battle Angel is now on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD and digital. Check out our 2020 Release Schedule to see what’s headed to theaters next year and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more exclusive movie news.

Fans of Alita: Battle Angel who really want a sequel have been calling themselves the Alita Army. They have pushed that petition for Alita: Battle Angel 2 beyond 121,000 signatures and counting. They have been tweeting. They have been commenting. And we have been writing stories arguing why Alita deserves a sequel. Fans want Alita 2 to happen so much. So, will it happen?

Jon Landau produced Alita: Battle Angel with James Cameron, and Landau just talked to CinemaBlend's own Sean O'Connell about the potential for a sequel. His advice to fans was basically to keep it up:

Yes, as Alita: Battle Angel producer Jon Landau noted, the family to reach is now at Disney. The movie was released in February 2019 by 20th Century Fox, and shortly after that everything was finalized with Disney's acquisition of Fox properties. There's been a lot to sort out in the transition.

So that's why Alita star Rosa Salazar said she understood why Disney didn't immediately have word on Alita 2. That said, it's been a minute. And in that minute, the Alita Army has kept the buzz going for Alita: Battle Angel. The movie made $404.8 million worldwide -- granted, most of that was overseas from $319 million at the international box office, per Box Office Mojo. But the interest is there.

So, theoretically, how long would it take for an Alita sequel to be made? Here's more from Jon Landau to CinemaBlend:

That's a lot of time. With Alita, though, the first movie's script was co-written by James Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis and ended with clear potential for sequels. So the story is already there, it's not like they'd be throwing pencils at the ceiling wondering "Where do we go from here?"

As Jon Landau continued, the team knows there are definitely more stories to tell in the Alita universe:

James Cameron does love to plan his sequels -- from Terminator to Avatar and Alita. Robert Rodriguez ultimately directed Alita: Battle Angel and said he'd love to return for Alita 2. Rose Salazar is ready to return too.

Since we live in the age of streaming -- with Disney+ now on the scene as a source of original and classic content -- would Jon Landau and the Alita filmmakers ever consider taking Alita: Battle Angel 2 to streaming?

So Jon Landau and James Cameron are fans of the streaming world, but it's too early to make any calls about Alita: Battle Angel 2. As Landau said, though, fans should keep telling Disney they want Alita 2 -- and maybe emphasize you'll pay good money to see it, and you'll make your friends, family, and neighbors pay money to see it too.

While we wait for news on Alita 2, keep up with everything still headed to the big screen this year with our 2019 movie release date schedule. And get ahead of the new year with our 2020 movie release date schedule.

Avatar is the highest-grossing movie of all time, which also makes it 20th Century Fox's highest-grossing movie. It's certainly something the studio had a right to brag about. But now Disney owns Fox, and James Cameron can no longer lean on his tight relationship with Rupert Murdoch and family. That relationship started with Aliens back in 1986 and was meant to continue through the upcoming Avatar sequels.

So how does the Avatar team feel about Fox now being owned by Disney? Bittersweet is one word to describe it. Here's what Titanic and Avatar producer Jon Landau had to say:

And Disney has enough money to fund it all, so that helps.

Jon Landau is James Cameron's producer at Lightstorm Entertainment, and he stayed positive and hopeful in his quote to The Hollywood Reporter. As THR noted, James Cameron had an unusually strong bond with Fox's Murdochs -- in one example, they gave him the extra time he needed for the much-delayed Titanic, which certainly paid off -- and now he's working for Disney. Disney is a place where IP like Marvel and Star Wars are the real stars and he's not likely to have any kind of special relationship like he enjoyed with the Murdochs.

However, the Avatar team has already worked with Disney on past projects, including theme parks, so it's not like they are all strangers starting from scratch.

There are four planned sequels to Avatar, which made $2,787,965,087 worldwide after its December 2009 release. A couple of months ago, producer Jon Landau said each movie would be a standalone movie, and you won't have had to see Avatar to enjoy Avatar 2. (But is there anyone left who hasn't seen Avatar?)

In 2016, James Cameron said the storyline of the sequels would follow Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and their children, as more of a family saga about the struggle with the humans.

In January 2019, Disney CEO Bob Iger referenced two Avatar sequels on the way, but noted Disney hadn't given Avatar 4 and 5 the green light at that point. However, Jon Landau followed that by saying Iger's quotes may have been misinterpreted --- telling HeyUGuys not only were Avatar 4 and 5 greenlit, they had already filmed part of Avatar 4.

In February, Jon Landau told Collider the performance-capture parts of Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 -- and part of Avatar 4 -- were complete. He said they would be filming the live-action portions in New Zealand this spring, aka right about now.

Just recently in late March, Jon Landau told THR they were moving forward on production the same way they were before the Disney/Fox deal officially closed last week.

Way back in 2006, James Cameron had said if Avatar was successful, he wanted to make two sequels. Well, it did pretty well. Sequels were originally scheduled for 2014 and 2015. Obviously that didn't happen, and future dates also didn't pan out.

James Cameron is no stranger to delays, and no stranger to gigantic blockbusters. The good news is that technology has advanced so much in the past decade that the sequels should be more impressive than ever.

As of now, Avatar 2 is scheduled for release on December 18, 2020, which would be exactly 11 years after Avatar opened. Avatar 2 is currently scheduled for December 17, 2021. The next films are expected in 2024 and 2025.

By the way, Jon Landau and James Cameron also produced Alita: Battle Angel for Fox. There are question marks on whether that film made enough to justify sequels, but it sounds like the ball might be in Disney's court for that decision.

It's been almost a decade since the release of Avatar, but after years of development, there are four sequels officially on the way. That's a significant amount of time in-between sequels, but new fans to the franchise apparently won't have a problem catching up. Avatar producer Jon Landau recently revealed that all of the Avatar sequels are being approached as standalone films, each with their own contained adventure.

Avatar sequels have been in development for several years. Originally, James Cameron envisioned Avatar as a trilogy of films. However, as he kept writing and developing after the first Avatar, he kept adding more movies to his saga until he landed on five movies total. Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 already have scripts and are currently going through production, but they won't arrive in theaters until 2020 and 2021. With so much time having passed, will people still be as into Avatar 2 than if it had come out in, say, 2012?

One way that James Cameron and the makers of Avatar are seemingly addressing this concern is by making each sequel accessible to new fans. No one has to remember too many details from the first Avatar in order to enjoy Avatar 2.

Producer Jon Landau told Collider that each Avatar sequel was approached as a standalone adventure. Each one tells an emotional journey with a conclusion. So, if you skip Avatar 2 and watch Avatar 3, you'll be able to follow along without having missed too much.

Despite the fact that Avatar is still the highest-grossing movie ever made, it hasn't had much of a lasting impression. It has a major presence at Disney Animal Kingdom, but Avatar hasn't remained in the cultural zeitgeist like other films. That's a significant challenge when four sequels are in development, but this seems like a really smart plan for dealing with that. If Avatar 2 was a direct continuation of the 2009 film, you run the risk of people not being invested. A standalone adventure requires a less commitment.

The first of the planned sequels, Avatar 2, won't arrive in theaters until December 18, 2020. Until then, here are all the movies in 2019 that you can catch in theaters.

UPDATE: It looks like the image below has managed to fool the internet. Deadline is reporting that the proposed Avatar 2 concept art comes from a fake Twitter account for producer Jon Landau - and that the filmmaker is currently in the midst of trying to get the account deleted.

The original report in its entirety is below:

It’s been almost six years since James Cameron’s groundbreaking sci-fi adventure Avatar became the biggest movie ever, and in that time, the talk of sequels has never abated. They’re still coming, three of them, and while production is a ways off, we do have a new look at what the Na’vi, the alien creatures from the film, will look like in Avatar 2, and from what we see, they look very familiar.

Jon Landau, a producer on Avatar as well as all three of the sequels, took to social media and shared this drawing of one of the Na’vi on Twitter. The image arrived on his timeline with the words, "Avatar 2," and nothing more.

The look of this character is not particularly surprising if you’ve seen Avatar or even just know what the Na’vi look like. They have blue skin, large eyes, and are vaguely feline in their facial features. That’s all information that we already knew and didn’t expect to change much in the sequels unless something drastic went down on the far away world of Pandora.

The real question surrounding this image is whether or not it is simply a piece of concept art someone worked on for Avatar 2—I guess it’s also possible Landau himself did this, I don’t know if he’s artistically inclined in that manner—or if this is of a new character that will actually be in the movie. It appears to be a female face, but it doesn’t look like either of the key actresses who are returning to this world.

Zoe Saldana is set to reprise her role as the Na’vi Neytiri, while Sigourney Weaver is coming back in some capacity—rumors say that she’ll once again play Dr. Grace Augustine, but that’s going to be tricky since she dies near the end. Still, Pandora has the Tree of Souls and other magical elements, so they can probably figure out a way to resurrect her if they put their minds to it. This image, however, doesn’t look like either of them, so we are left to wonder about its true nature.

Just in case you need a refresher, here’s what the Na’vi look like in Avatar.

Scheduled to shoot back-to-back-to-back, production on the Avatar sequels was pushed back by a year. Right now, unless there are further delays, filming will likely begin sometime early next year, and Avatar 2 will hit theaters December 25, 2017, Avatar 3 will be released in December of 2018, and Avatar 4 will follow in December 2019.

Avatar, despite its shortcomings in story, managed to claw its way to the top of the all-time box office records and rabid fans still want more. You can see the film again this weekend during its re-release, but there will more than likely be a sequel--just not right away, according to producer Jon Landau, who recently sat down with the kind folks over at Coming Soon.

The mega producer spoke about Cameron's career, mentioning that the two sequels he'd done in the past (Aliens and Terminator 2) managed to at least match the quality of their predecessors, which puts a lot of pressure on him for an Avatar follow up. The sequel, or sequels as have been rumored, will only get made once the material is there for Cameron to work with, but the writer/director's focus won't be swayed by tech since that part of the process has already been developed.

This sort of freedom will leave Cameron free to develop a script as "entertaining and unique" as the multi-billion dollar original. Or course, Avatar wasn't exactly that unique a story, and we've seen what the tech used in Avatar can do already, so it'll be interesting to see just what the True Lies director will do to dazzle audiences and raise the bar yet again.

There's a handful of movies that James Cameron is interested in directing himself, so don't get your hopes up for a sequel in the near future. It took Cameron ten years to put together the tech to make Avatar and it worked out; just let the man move at his own pace and take the news whenever it comes along.