With James Cameron gearing up to go into production on his Avatar sequels, returning star Sigourney Weaver has been chatting to Entertainment Weekly about the hugely-ambitous project, which expanded during development from the initially planned two movies to four.
“There’s a very good reason why it turned out to be four sequels,” said Weaver. “Having read all four of them, I think they’re absolutely extraordinary and worth the wait. These films are very much about the peril of this beautiful planet, and [James Cameron] is continuing the same themes of greed and callousness of the corporations and plight of the indigenous people. At this point after a long and very satisfying career – I can’t believe it’s been forty years, but anyway – I’m very excited to be able to work on these four stories. I can really, really appreciate it.”
“It’s the most ambitious project by far I’ve ever been involved in, and the most moving, the most astonishing, beautiful,” she continued. “I think all of us who get to be a part of it is just in awe when we see the artwork. It’s just incredible to be living now when we can bring this kind of film experience to the public. Because I think as much as ‘Avatar’ changed what people want in a film experience, this goes a hundred times farther.”
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The plan for the Avatar sequels is to shoot Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 back-to-back from September 25th, with Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 then shooting back-to-back shortly after. In addition to Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Joel David Moore and Stephen Lang are returning to the cast, while new additions include Oona Chaplin (Game of Thrones) and Cliff Curtis (Fear the Walking Dead).
Originally published July 16, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
