James Cameron Moving To New Zealand, Will Start Work On Avatar 2 Once Unpacked
Fox is anxious to get a sequel to the highest grossing film of all-time in theaters sooner rather than later and have slated Avatar 2 for release in 2014. The man making it, however, is not in a hurry and doesn’t plan to start production on the follow-up any time soon. He believes it will hit theaters in 2015 instead.
In an interview, James Cameron has stated that the sequel will take time as he and his family get ready to move to New Zealand, where the sequels will be made. Cameron reveals, “it sometimes takes me a long time to do the things I set out to do.” He’s not kidding. There was a 12 year gap between his last two efforts, Titanic and Avatar.
Though he hasn’t actually started making the movie, Cameron spent an estimated $16 million to buy 2,500 acres of farmland around Lake Pounui in New Zealand. The Cameron family will live there while he starts the long process of making Avatar 2.
Cameron will shoot the entire project in Peter Jackson’s production studio, WETA, in Wellington, which is about 15 minutes away by helicopter. Jackson built a reputation for digital filmmaking and visual effects in New Zealand when he made the Lord of the Rings Trilogy in the early 2000s and recently wrapped production of his new Hobbit films there. Cameron will also be doing his visual effects work at WETA Digital.
About a month ago, while doing press for her new TBS political mini-series, Political Animals, actress Sigourney Weaver told reporters that three Avatar sequels are in the works and would shoot concurrently, one after another. Cameron has also stated that the possibilities of an Avatar 4 are premature but hasn’t ruled it out completely.
