In his first comments on the threequel since the December release of Avatar: The Way of Water, James Cameron hinted a new type of Na’vi for Avatar 3.
A new clan of Pandora’s native species is said to be the first ‘bad’ example of the people, revealing that they aren’t always so peaceful as a race.
The Way of Water, which is on its way to breaking box office records, introduced spectators to two varieties of Na’vi: the forest-dwelling Omaticaya and the ocean-loving Metkayina.
In the newest films, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family are members of the Omaticaya tribe but find themselves seeking sanctuary with the Metkayina, who have developed differently to fit their swimming and sea demands.
Avatar 3 will look at another element, with the advent of the Ash People ‘representing fire’, according to Cameron.
The writer-director added that the as-yet untitled film, which is under post-production and set for a December 2024 release, will feature ‘other civilizations from those I have already presented’ and that he hopes to’display the Na’vi from another aspect because, so far, I have only portrayed their bright sides’.
He explained to French publication 20 Minutes, via Total Film: ‘In the early films, there are very negative human examples and very positive Na’vi examples. In Avatar 3 we will do the opposite. We will also explore new worlds, while continuing the story of the main characters.’
‘I can say that the last parts will be the best. The others were an introduction, a way to set the table before serving the meal,’ he said.
As ever though, the Hollywood heavyweight added a note of caution, saying everything would ‘depend on how Avatar 2 is received, if it finds its audience’.
Ahead of The Way of Water’s release, the Titanic director – who has revealed he is in talks to reboot his iconic Terminator franchise – had admitted that the movie was ‘very f**king expensive’ to make and would have to be the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history, just to break even (the first film is still at number one).
He also stated publicly that if it became clear that audiences no longer ‘gave a s**t,’ he would discontinue the franchise after the already-filmed third instalment.
He does have a total of five films in the works.
Fortunately, less than two weeks after its debut, the picture surpassed the $1,000,000,000 mark at the global box office.
It was the fastest film to reach the coveted target in 2022, with Top Gun: Maverick and Jurassic World Dominion also succeeding.
Only a few films have made $1 billion in their first two weeks of release, including Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2019.
The Way of Water is currently expected to generate more than $1.5 billion at the global movie office, surpassing Top Gun as 2022’s highest-grossing picture and climbing into the top ten of all time.
The original picture, which was released at the end of 2009, remains the most profitable film in history, with a worldwide gross of more than $2.9 billion.
Avatar: The Way of Water is in cinemas now.
