Avatar: The Way of Water producer Jon Landau revealed director James Cameron's plans for a fifth installment in the Avatar series, hinting that it will take place partially on Earth.
Reported by Fandom, Landau explained, "In movie five, the idea is that we would go to Pandora, and we'd return to Earth, but show the juxtaposition." He added, "And just like we have something to learn from Pandora, Neytiri's character has something to learn from the people of Earth too. The people of Earth who killed her family, the people of Earth who destroyed her home." Cameron added that Earth won't make an appearance in the second, third, or fourth installments of the Avatar series, but, "by five, you will see action on Earth... because don't we want to juxtapose this verdant, incredible world in its prime with an Earth a couple of hundred years from now that is the result of us if we don’t change?"
Despite having the future of the franchise mapped out, Cameron had previously said that Avatar 4 and 5 may not happen unless The Way of Water brings in a substantial amount of money. This likely partially has to do with the fact that an Avatar film is inherently a very pricey endeavor. In fact, The Way of Water is one of the most expensive movies ever made, with some budget estimates coming in between $350 million and $400 million.
The Return of Avatar Needs to Make a Lot of Money
Cameron himself noted that The Way of Water will have to see massive box office numbers in order to justify its budget. The director even went as far as to describe the film as "the worst business case in movie history," noting that it will need to be "the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history" in order to "break even."
But if initial reactions from critics have any say in it, The Way of Water will be very popular in theaters. The Wrap's Drew Taylor praised The Way of Water's "technical mastery and unexpectedly intimate emotional scope," while Collider's Perri Nemiroff noted that the film's "technical feats always feel in service of character [and] world-building." IndieWire's David Ehrlich also stated that The Way of Water is "light years better than the first" film, calling it "one of the best theatrical experiences in ages."
Avatar: The Way of Water is set to hit theaters on Dec. 16.
Source: Fandom