James Cameron’s long-awaited Avatar sequel is still on track for a December 2021 release.
The filmmaker has been shooting both Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 for the past few years, with the second installment of the hit sci-fi franchise currently slated for a December 17, 2021 release.
While the premiere date comes 12 years after the original movie debuted, Cameron has assured fans the film won’t be delayed amid the COVID-19 crisis.
“I want to get back to work on Avatar 2, which right now we’re not allowed to do under state emergency laws or rules. So it’s all on hold right now,” he told Empire magazine.
The filmmaker added that, just before everyone went into lockdown, he was getting set to, “shoot down in New Zealand, so that got pushed,” adding: “We’re trying to get back to it as quick as we can.”
“On the bright side, New Zealand seems to have been very effective in controlling the virus and their goal is not mitigation, but eradication, which they believe that they can do with aggressive contact tracing and testing,” the director explained.
“So there’s a very good chance that our shoot might be delayed a couple of months, but we can still do it. So that’s good news.”
He added that digital effects teams are continuing to work on the feature from home, further limiting any potential impact of the coronavirus crisis.
Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver are all set to return for the new movie.
