The anticipated sequel of James Cameron’s Avatar is confirmed to resume filming. Hence, producer Jon Landau reveals cast and crew are heading to New Zealand next week.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus crisis, most of the film industry has temporarily shut down all production. The Avatar halted its production in March, however, with New Zealand reopening, there’s no reason to delay the production.
While most of the Hollywood movies still in shutdown, Avatar will be the first major movie project to resume filming.
Producer Landau showed off Avatar set
Producer Landau revealed the announcement on his Instagram account showing a photo of the Avatar set. Landau wrote,
“Our #Avatar sets are ready — and we couldn’t be more excited to be headed back to New Zealand next week. Check out the Matador, a high speed forward command vessel (bottom) and the Picador jetboat (top) — can’t wait to share more,” said the producer. All of this is major news, with Avatar arguably the first major studio film to return to production since all shoots closed down in mid-March out of safety from the coronavirus pandemic.”
New Zealand’s government allowed the filming industry to resume while endorsing their COVID-19 safety protocols. The Avatar production filmed in different studio locations since last year. The filming took place in Kumeu, New Zealand, and the country’s capital, Wellington.
In the #Avatar sequels, you won’t just return to Pandora — you’ll explore new parts of the world.
Check out these brand new concept art pieces for a sneak peek at what’s to come. pic.twitter.com/bfZPWVa7XZ
— Avatar (@officialavatar) January 7, 2020
Although the producer is very optimistic about the filming, James Cameron seems a little worried about the effect of the pandemic. He said,
“The thing that scared me most about making Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 was that the market might have shifted so much that it simply was no longer possible to get people that excited about going and sitting in a dark room with a bunch of strangers to watch something.”
When is the release date of Avatar 2?
With the film resuming, Avatar 2 will arrive in theaters on December 17, 2021. The film was originally scheduled in December 2020 but was pushed back next year. Cameron also planned to release succeeding Avatar films two years apart. Avatar 3 will arrive on December 2023.
What is the plot for Avatar 2?
The Avatar 2 plot will take place eight years after the original narrative. Sam Worthington who plays Jake Sully, revealed that Jake now has a family. The movie will emphasize the importance of family over anything else.
From the set of the sequels: @ZoeSaldana, Sam Worthington, Kate Winslet, and Cliff Curtis taking a break from underwater performance capture for a quick photo!
Fun fact: Much of the performance capture took place in this 900,000 gallon tank, built specifically for the sequels. pic.twitter.com/NSfqoZ6jXJ
— Avatar (@officialavatar) May 13, 2020
Furthermore, Pandora is now bigger than the first one and will explore the world in the ocean. Cameron is said to bring most of the set to the sea. Furthermore, Cameron will be using his ocean documentaries to make Avatar 2 as real as possible. He said,
“I’m very literal about my underwater. “It needs to look like it’s real.”
Vin Diesel is confirmed to join the cast
Last year, The Fast and Furious actor, Vin Diesel announced on Twitter that he will join the cast. Diesel said,
“Probably my favourite in the whole cast [and] the closest in my family is Zoe Saldana,” Diesel shared. “Hence Avatar. Hence why I’m doing Avatar, or one of the reasons.”
Image Courtesy of Smasher/YouTube Screenshot