Avatar 2 is definitely arriving later this year, and 20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell promises a "compelling" saga.
"This is not just a sequel, it’s a saga," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "And it’s a family saga. It will be compelling on its own, but it will also be extremely compelling to return to those characters and to see how they’ve evolved. It’s less about Avatar being a really big movie and more about how Avatar was a really important cultural moment for audiences. I don’t think it will be hard to convince people to come back."
The first Avatar movie came out back in 2009, so the sequel is long-awaited. The series stars Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, a former Marine turned Na'vi and Zoe Saldana as Na'vi princess Neytiri, alongside big names including Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, and Edie Falco.
When asked if Avatar 2 will stick to its 2022 release date, Asbell responded "Yes. It will," without hesitation. "It’s going to blow people away. You’re not ready for what Jim [Cameron] is doing."
The sequel is set to explore the underwater world of the fictional planet Pandora and will focus on the Sully family – several years have elapsed and Jake and Neytiri are now parents. Producer Jon Landau revealed the first official plot details to Total Film last year: the Sullys’ idyllic life is disrupted when the RDA mining operation returns to Pandora, forcing Jake to take the family to "what is perceived as a safe harbor" at the reef, but new problems await there.
Avatar 2 arrives in theaters on December 16, with three more sequels set to follow until 2028. In the meantime, fill out your watch list with our picks of the best sci-fi movies of all time.
