The sequel to James Cameron's "Avatar" has been postponed again and will no longer premiere next year.
"Avatar 2" was originally up for a Christmas 2016 release before being pushed back to Christmas 2017. The delay set up a possible box office battle between the film and another anticipated fantasy movie, "Star Wars: Episode VIII." However, 20th Century Fox announced in January 2016 that the sequel's premiere would likely be rescheduled to Christmas 2018.
Cameron recently caught up with the Toronto Star and he confirmed that the new installment won't arrive next year as initially planned.
"Well, 2018 is not happening," he stated. "We haven't announced a firm release date."
Four installments of "Avatar" are expected in the future and the award-winning director explained that he is planning on making of them simultaneously. Because of the magnitude of the project, production for the sequel had to be delayed.
"What people have to understand is that this is a cadence of releases," Cameron continued. "So, we're not making 'Avatar 2,' we're making 'Avatar 2, 3, 4 and 5.' It's an epic undertaking. It's not unlike building the Three Gorges dam... So I know where I'm going to be for the next eight years of my life. It's not an unreasonable time frame if you think about it."
Aside from the "Avatar" franchise, Cameron is currently busy working on a new documentary titled "Atlantis Rising." The project features Cameron and Simcha Jacobovici in their attempt to find the lost city. When asked if the upcoming film will have a theme related to Atlantis, Cameron said it's far from happening because the franchise has its own specific themes.
While there are thematic connections to the story of Atlantis, "Avatar" centers on human superiority and how people abuse the resources of the world. Cameron stressed that the upcoming films will continue to explore how humans continuously attempt to take over nature, even when they should just learn to be a part of it.
