'Avatar 2 'release date news: Stephen Lang confirms filming to begin early 2017

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Stephen Lang has revealed that cameras will begin to roll for the highly anticipated sequels of "Avatar" early next year.

During the panel at the Wizard World Comic Con Chicago to promote his new film "Don't Breathe," the actor said that working on the set of "Avatar" sequels will keep him busy in the coming years.

"As the New Year turns, we start to shoot for the Avatar sequels," Lang told the press, as reported by Blastr. "I think that the whole process of making the films and opening the films will go to about 2023."

Lang will reprise his role as Colonel Miles Quaritch, the ruthless chief of security of the Hell's Gate community in the fictional moon called Pandora. But despite being the main villain during the first film, the actor revealed that major changes in Quaritch's life will happen as the story unfolds in each film.

"His character will evolve into really unexpected places across the arc of our new three-film saga," the actor revealed.

However, there is no information yet about how Quaritch will return to the story since Lang's character was killed off in the first film.

Meanwhile, director-producer James Cameron explained why he decided to come up with four sequels for "Avatar" in an interview with Variety.

"We have decided to embark on a truly massive cinematic project, making four epic films, each of which stands alone but together forms a complete saga," Cameron said. "Trust me, these are films that were designed to be seen in theaters and on the big screen first."

Aside from Lang, Sigourney Weaver was also confirmed to reprise her role, as Avatar Program head and exobiologist Grace Augustine.