"Avatar 2" fans had to wait for quite a while for the new installment, but it is currently in production, and the script is being finalized by director James Cameron, who recently explained that the second film and its future sequels will focus on Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), and their children instead of new characters.
In many film series, lead characters are often swapped out in favor of someone new, similar to how Mark Wahlberg replaced Shia Lebeouf in the "Transformers" series or how the "Terminator" films started by focusing on Sarah Conner, and later, more on her son, John Conner. This will not be the case with the "Avatar" sequels.
Speaking to Variety, Cameron stated "The storyline in the sequels really follows Jake and Neytiri and their children. It's more of a family saga about the struggle with the humans."
Cameron also explained that the new lead characters introduced in the tie-in video games, novels, and the recent stage play "Toruk" serve to expand the lore and the world, but the films would stick closely to the story of Jake and Neytiri.
This would mirror how the "Star Wars" films focus entirely on the lives of the Skywalker family members while the tie-in films, television shows, novels and comic books all focus on expanding that world and introducing side characters like Ezra in "Star Wars Rebels" and Jyn Erso in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."
Digital Spy points out that the actors from the original film are all contracted for the franchise, meaning they are required to reprise their roles should Cameron decide to bring them back for "Avatar 2" and the rest of the planned installments. This not only includes Worthington and Saldana but also Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang.
"Avatar 2" will premiere in December 2018, and it will be followed by "Avatar 3" in 2020. "Avatar 4" follows in 2022" while "Avatar 5" launches a year later, in 2023.
