Giant Freakin Robot

Recent rumors suggest that production on the three Avatar sequels is scheduled to begin in October 2014. We know Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana will reprise their roles from the original film, as Jake Sully and Neytiri, respectively. But it looks like another familiar face will return for the sequels as well, one nobody would have expected, given that he was killed in the first movie. We’re talking about baddie Colonel Miles Quaritch.

In an interview with Deadline, James Cameron revealed that actor Stephen Lang will reprise his role as Quaritch in all three of the Avatar sequels. Given that whole death thing, it’s unclear how he will return for the new films. Cameron talked about how much he loves the actor and the character, and why he wants to bring him back in some way. Cameron says:

Steven was so memorable in the first film, we’re privileged to have him back. I’m not going to say exactly HOW we’re bringing him back, but it’s a science fiction story, after all. His character will evolve into really unexpected places across the arc of our new three-film saga. I really look forward to working with such a gifted actor, who’s also become a good friend.

James Cameron has been working on the Avatar sequels since the huge success of the original in 2009. That was four years ago, but it hasn’t been until recently that we’ve seen movement on the Na’vi front. While Avatar’s production was just as big as its box office, the sequels are an even bigger undertaking. Cameron isn’t content to make one film, oh no, he’s planning to make three sequels, all at the same time. So it’s more understandable why this process is taking such a long time. Now we have a production start on one of the most ambitious film projects of the decade, October, 2014.

According to Varitey, while on an Australian radio show, Avatar star Sam Worthington said that production on all three sequels will begin almost exactly a year from now. There were reports that the filming could start as early as January, but now it seems that’s not the case. “We are going to start this time next year and we will do two, three and four,” Worthington told Australia radio station NovaFM. “In one shot, we’ll do them simultaneously. I’ll be grateful if it finishes.”

The Internet Gods giveth and Internet Gods taketh away. On Tuesday, Latino Review reported that action icon Arnold Schwarzenegger would re-unite with director James Cameron for Avatar 2. The rumor was that Schwarzenegger would play an evil human general in the upcoming sequels. Now it appears that is not the case.

According to THR, a spokesperson from Twentieth Century Fox denied that Schwarzenegger is up for the part, or even taking meetings. Of course, Schwarzenegger previously worked with Cameron on the original Terminator, sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and the action comedy True Lies.

While it’s certainly plausible that Schwarzenegger would want to work with Cameron again, it looks like it’s not going to happen anytime soon. Schwarzenegger’s acting career took a serious detour while he served two terms as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 to 2011. The Austrian-born actor made his comeback with The Expendables 2 in 2012 and Kim Ji-woon’s American debut feature film The Last Stand in 2013. Landing a key role in Avatar 2 could put the former body builder squarely back on the A-List in Hollywood.

While the Avatar sequels are rumored to start production at the beginning of 2014, director James Cameron is already hard at work, planning the three movies to be made simultaneously. He’s brought on a fleet of new writers to help realize his vision and he’s brought back a majority of the cast of the original Avatar It now seems that another of James Cameron’s former collaborators might be taking a trip to Pandora: Arnold Schwarzenegger.

According to Latino Review’s inside sources, Schwarzenegger may re-team with Cameron for the Avatar sequels. While the outlet doesn’t give any specifics on the role, it is rumored that he would play the trilogy’s main villain. If you remember, the bad guy in the original Avatar, Col. Miles Quaritch — wonderfully played by Stephen Lang — was killed at the end of the film, so the antagonist position for the sequels is currently open.

Twentieth Century Fox and James Cameron are now moving quicker with the Avatar sequels than ever before. Yesterday, Fox hired screenwriter and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles showrunner Josh Friedman to work with Cameron on the screenplay for Avatar 2. The pairing is a perfect fit considering Friedman’s experience with expanding the mythology of a James Cameron franchise. Now it seems that Fox and Cameron will make not two, but three Avatar sequels (Avatar 4 will most likely be a prequel). The studio has officially hired a new team of screenwriters to help expand the universe of Pandora and the Na’vi.

According to Deadline, Fox has hired screenwriters Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) and Shane Salerno (Salinger) to co-write the Avatar sequels with James Cameron. With Friedman co-writing Avatar 2, it’ll be interesting to see who handles what on the subsequent sequels. Perhaps Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver will co-write Avatar 3 with Cameron, hen Shane Salerno will tackle Avatar 4. Needless to say, this is going to be a giant undertaking for Cameron, who would be filming all three films simultaneously, with production beginning next year at Peter Jackson’s Weta Studios in New Zealand. Cameron says:

Building upon the world we created with Avatar has been a rare and incredibly rewarding experience. In writing the new films, I’ve come to realize that Avatar’s world, story and characters have become even richer than I anticipated, and it became apparent that two films would not be enough to capture everything I wanted to put on screen. And to help me continue to expand this universe, I’m pleased to bring aboard Amanda, Rick, Shane and Josh — all writers I’ve long admired — to join me in completing the films’ screenplays.

Avatar 2 has taken a very interesting turn. In some cases, like The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, director James Cameron has shared the screenwriting credit, but much of the time he writes his own films. While he isn’t the most dynamic when it comes to character and dialogue, he’s a master of structure and pace. He drives his narratives forward with precision and expertise, which is why he rarely feels the need to collaborate with a partner or a co-writer. Recently, however, Cameron recruited screenwriter Josh Friedman to help him with the screenplay for Avatar 2.

While it’s unclear whether Friedman would work on Avatar 3 as well, the creative force and creator behind Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles has now joined forces with the creator of The Terminator film franchise. According to the Wrap, Friedman will work with Cameron in order to deliver the highly anticipated sequel to theaters by 2015. Neither Twentieth Century Fox, nor Cameron, have commented on the move, but it’s good to see someone like Friedman attached to the Avatar film series.