Following the box office success of "Avatar: The Way of Water," the Avatar franchise has been greenlit for a fourth installment, slated for release in 2029, and is currently in production.
Specifically, Avatar 4 is anticipated to serve as a pivotal turning point for the franchise, akin to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, incorporating significant plot developments.
Avatar 3's release has been pushed back to December 2025 due to the Hollywood strikes, with Avatar 4 set to premiere five years later in 2029.
Avatar (2009) is the highest-grossing film in history. It shocked many viewers with its incredible technological achievements at the time of its initial release.
However, director James Cameron stated that if the sequel didn't perform well enough, he would end the series with the third installment. This is because Avatar 2 reportedly has a break-even point of at least $1.5 billion. (Considering that most Hollywood films have production budgets of $100-200 million, this is an enormous figure.)
Fortunately, the sequel, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ (2022), which was released after 13 years, grossed $2.3 billion, placing it third on the all-time box office list. Therefore, James Cameron commenced filming on January 30th, aiming for a 2029 release.
Stephen Lang's Instagram post featuring an Avatar 4 motion capture suit
On the same day, actor Stephen Lang posted a photo of himself in a motion capture suit on Instagram. Lang plays the villain Miles Quaritch in the Avatar series. Although he died in the first film, he was resurrected as a blue-skinned Avatar in the sequel, with his memories backed up.
James Cameron has stated that Avatar 4 will involve significant plot developments that will have a major impact on the franchise. It seems likely to be a similar case to how the reveal of Darth Vader's identity in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back expanded the Star Wars franchise.
Meanwhile, Avatar 3, which was initially scheduled for release in December 2024, has been postponed to December 2025 due to the Hollywood strike. The film currently in production, Avatar 4, won't be available in theaters until 2029, five years later.