{"id":334054,"date":"2025-12-09T06:59:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T06:59:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/334054\/"},"modified":"2025-12-09T06:59:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T06:59:09","slug":"james-cameron-says-studio-pushed-back-against-adding-avatar-sequels-so-he-asked-what-part-of-you-getting-another-chance-to-make-2-billion-is-in-question-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/334054\/","title":{"rendered":"James Cameron Says Studio Pushed Back Against Adding \u2018Avatar\u2019 Sequels, So He Asked: \u2018What Part of You Getting Another Chance to Make $2 Billion Is in Question Here?\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

James Cameron revealed in an interview with Discussing Film<\/a> that he received pushback from the studio when he decided to expand the number of \u201cAvatar\u201d sequels from three films to four. After the record-breaking success of the original \u201cAvatar\u201d in 2009, Cameron assembled a writer\u2019s room to begin developing the continuation of a story across three sequels.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were working on three scripts and then it turned into four. Two got split into two and three,\u201d Cameron said about his decision to split what was the original script for \u201cAvatar: The Way of Water\u201d into both \u201cThe Way of Water\u201d and a new third movie, \u201cFire and Ash.\u201d The decision meant what was planned to be the third \u201cAvatar\u201d movie would now be the fourth, bringing the total number of films in the franchise to five.<\/p>\n

More from Variety<\/p>\n

\u201cI actually got a fair bit of pushback from the studio,\u201d Cameron said. \u201cMy counterargument was, \u2018Wait a minute. What part of you getting another chance to make $2 billion is in question here?’\u201d<\/p>\n

The original \u201cAvatar\u201d remains the highest grossing-movie in history (unadjusted for inflation) with $2.9 billion. Cameron knew what he was talking about with his counterargument to the studio as 2022\u2019s \u201cThe Way of Water\u201d grossed $2.3 billion to become the third highest-grosser in history. Now the pressure is on for \u201cFire and Ash\u201d to cross the $2 billion mark at the worldwide box office later this month.<\/p>\n

Cameron previously revealed that he\u2019s already shot footage for \u201cAvatar 4,\u201d but going back to finish the next sequel and continue into \u201cAvatar 5\u201d will all depend on the success of \u201cAvatar: Fire and Ash.\u201d Speaking to\u00a0Collider<\/a>\u00a0in 2022, the filmmaker revealed that the \u201cAvatar 4\u201d script was the first \u201cAvatar\u201d sequel not to receive a single note from studio executives.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t tell you the details, but all I can say is that when I turned in the script for [\u2018The Way of Water\u2019], the studio gave me three pages of notes,\u201d Cameron said. \u201cAnd when I turned in the script for 3, they gave me a page of notes, so I was getting better. When I turned in the script for 4, the studio executive, the creative executive over the films, wrote me an email that said, \u2018Holy fuck.\u2019 And I said, \u2018Well, where are the notes?\u2019 And she said, \u2018Those are the notes.\u2019 Because it kind of goes nuts in a good way, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAvatar: Fire and Ash\u201d opens in theaters Dec. 19.<\/p>\n

Best of Variety<\/p>\n

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