James Cameron Says He Might 'Pass the Baton' to Not Direct 'Avatar' 4 and 5 Himself

The blockbuster director said the films are "kind of all-consuming" and that he might step away to work on other things

james cameron
Photo: Gabriel Olsen/Getty; Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation/Kobal/Shutterstock

James Cameron might be ready to let another director enter his Avatar universe.

In an interview with Empire, the blockbuster director opened up about what the future holds for the world he first revealed in 2009.

While four more films are already slated to be released, Cameron admitted he might take a step back when it comes to the fourth and fifth installments.

"The Avatar films themselves are kind of all-consuming," Cameron told the magazine. "I've got some other things I'm developing as well that are exciting. I think eventually over time – I don't know if that's after three or after four – I'll want to pass the baton to a director that I trust to take over, so I can go do some other stuff that I'm also interested in. Or maybe not. I don't know."

The long-delayed Avatar sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, is set to hit theaters Dec. 16, 2022 with a third film expected in 2024, a fourth in 2026 and a fifth in 2028. 20th Century Studios will also re-release the original Avatar in theaters on Sept. 23.

Cameron has put a lot of thought into the follow-up films, namely the upcoming two which have already been made and were shot back-to-back.

James Cameron
James Cameron. Jeff Spicer/WireImage

"I got more excited as I went along. Movie four is a corker. It's a motherf-----. I actually hope I get to make it. But it depends on market forces," he told Empire. "Three is in the can so it's coming out regardless. I really hope that we get to make four and five because it's one big story, ultimately."

Empire reported that the next films take place in the same universe as the 2009 record-breaking movie. The second film is said to take place 10 years after the original.

An official logline for The Way of Water explains that this film "begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure."

The original broke box office records upon its release and also earned nine Oscar nominations — including for Best Picture — with three total wins. Cameron told Entertainment Weekly in December that he worries whether the subsequent installments can match Avatar's success.

"The big issue is: Are we going to make any damn money? Big, expensive films have got to make a lot of money," said Cameron at the time. "We're in a new world post-COVID, post-streaming. Maybe those [box office] numbers will never be seen again. Who knows? It's all a big roll of the dice."

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