James Cameron’s Avatar was a spectacular financial success, the highest grossing film ever if inflation isn’t taken into account. That considered, it’s perhaps not a surprise that Cameron might not want to venture out of that comfort zone ever again.
In a recent interview with the New York Times, Cameron indicated that the remainder of his filmography might be dedicated solely to the continued adventures of big blue aliens.
“I’ve made two movies in 16 years, and I’ve done eight expeditions. Last year I basically completely disbanded my production company’s development arm. So I’m not interested in developing anything. I’m in the Avatar business. Period. That’s it. I’m making Avatar 2, Avatar 3, maybe Avatar 4, and I’m not going to produce other people’s movies for them,” Cameron told the Times.
For years Cameron has discussed projects outside of the Avatar universe, in particular Battle Angel Alita, a robot-heavy manga series that would doubtlessly be in Cameron’s wheelhouse. But if the interview is to believed, the famously intense and perfectionist auteur will dedicate the remainder of his directing career towards an expansion of the franchise he created, ala George Lucas.
In the same interview, Cameron says that work has begun on Avatar 2, with pre-production work underway in Los Angeles and New Zealand. He also acknowledges a script in progress, hopefully one that copies the plot structure of a film even more exciting than Dances with Wolves.
Source: The New York Times