James Cameron says Disney only had one note on Avatar 4: "Holy f*ck"
Cameron gets candid on his studio notes for Avatar
Director James Cameron has revealed the studio’s surprising (and sweary) reaction to one of his planned Avatar sequels. Cameron said in an interview with Collider that the notes on his sequels – of which there are four planned, culminating in 2028’s Avatar 5 – have lessened over the years.
"I can’t tell you the details, but all I can say is that when I turned in the script for [Avatar: The Way of Water], the studio gave me three pages of notes, Cameron explained. "And when I turned in the script for [Avatar 3], they gave me a page of notes, so I was getting better. When I turned in the script for [Avatar 4], the studio executive, creative executive over the films wrote me an email that said, 'Holy fuck.'"
He continued, "And I said, ‘Well, where are the notes?’ And she said, ‘Those are the notes.’ Because it kind of goes nuts in a good way, right?"
Avatar 4, if you’re keeping track, is set for release on December 18, 2026. Cameron filmed Avatars 2 and 3 simultaneously, but principal photography on the fourquel only began earlier this year.
Cameron has also recently explained how he butted heads with an executive during production of the first Avatar – which became the highest-grossing movie of all time.
"And I told him to get the fuck out of my office. And that’s where it was left." Cameron told GQ of the incident, which escalated into a row over the movie’s runtime.
Avatar: The Way of Water is set for release on December 16. For a taste of what to expect, here are the first reactions from the Avatar sequel’s world premiere.
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter
Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox
I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.