Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Avatar: James Cameron’s four sequels will cost $1bn

Filming came to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic

Isobel Lewis
Monday 11 May 2020 10:28 BST
Comments
Matt Damon and Christian Bale joke about not working on Avatar and missing out on $250m

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

James Cameron’s Avatar sequels are reportedly costing $1bn (£808m) to make.

The four sequels to the hugely successful 2009 science fiction adventure are due to restart filming in New Zealand in the coming weeks after shooting came to a halt in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Now, Deadline has shown just how much money is being put into the projects, as they revealed that the movies, which began production in 2017, were initially given a combined budget of more than $1bn.

This makes 20th Century Fox, which was bought by Disney in 2018, the first studio to spend $1bn up front on a movie series.

The original Avatar film, which starred Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver, is the second highest-grossing film of all time, having raked in £2.25bn ($2.78bn) in the global box office.

Last week, fans were given a sneak peak at Avatar 2, as it was revealed that Weaver would be returning to the franchise for all four sequels.

In a picture shared on Twitter taken before filming was suspended, the actor is seen alongside co-star Joel David Moore and producer Jon Landau.

The photo’s caption reads: “From the set of the Avatar sequels: Producer Jon Landau, Sigourney Weaver, and Joel David Moore revisited the Site 26 Shack to shoot scenes for the new films.”

Meanwhile, Weaver’s co-star Stephen Lang stated earlier this year that he “expected” Avatar 2 to surpass Avengers: Endgame as the highest-grossing film of all time.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in