Avatar: The Way of Water director James Cameron recently compared himself to The Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien and director Peter Jackson, who famously adapted Tolkien's books.
Cameron likened himself to the pair while discussing how he developed the Avatar franchise's mythology in an interview with Time. "I was trying to do a simulation of, 'OK, I'm Peter Jackson making Lord of the Rings except Lord of the Rings doesn’t exist yet, so I need to go be Tolkien and create Lord of the Rings, and then I can go be Peter Jackson,'" he said. "A little bit cheeky and ambitious, but I wasn't adapting some big pantheon of books that existed. I had to go do that."
Cameron's world-building efforts appear to have paid off, and then some. Avatar: The Way of Water is currently the third-highest-grossing film of all time, behind the first Avatar installment and Avengers: Endgame. What's more, The Way of Water's incredible financial success guarantees that the three remaining Avatar sequels will indeed happen, with Cameron joking that he has no choice but to make them. "I can't wiggle out of this and I'm gonna have to do these other sequels... I know what I'm going to be doing the next six or seven years," he said.
Avatar's Star Discuss the Upcoming Sequels
Unlike Cameron, Avatar: The Way of Water stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña aren't trying to hide their enthusiasm for the franchise's next installments. The pair made it clear how eager they were to sign on for The Way of Water and its follow-ups in a recent interview, with Saldaña insisting she would've agreed to appear in "60 movies" if Cameron had asked. Worthington echoed his co-star's sentiments, praising Cameron as a director who respects his cast and crew and "leads by example."
Not everyone in Hollywood is as keen to visit Pandora, though. Notably, actor and comedian Marc Maron recently expressed relief that he didn't land the part of marine biologist Dr. Ian Garvin in Avatar: The Way of Water, describing the audition process as "ridiculous." Maron added that he wasn't overly fond of the Avatar franchise and balked at the idea of relocating to New Zealand during principal photography. As such, he was happy the Ian Garvin role ultimately went to Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement, instead.
Avatar: The Way of Water is in cinemas now.
Source: Time