Shaheer Ahmed
The 13-year wait for a sequel to Avatar, the highest-grossing film of all time, cannot come soon enough for theatres worldwide, which are still reeling from the effects of the Covid epidemic.
Next Monday, the public will be able to view James Cameron’s three-hour masterpiece, which the filmmaker hopes will validate his aim of developing a franchise on par with Star Wars and the Marvel juggernaut. The iconic filmmaker confesses to being nervous about the debut.
“I’ve always been worried every time we put a movie out into the marketplace, and this is a particularly problematic period because, after the epidemic, the market has narrowed slightly,” he said from the red carpet to the BBC. Cameron, on the other hand, expressed confidence that the sequel to his 2009 smash will deliver. “The film is entertaining. It’s a pleasant experience. It’s potent. It’s upsetting. People are bawling and weeping their eyes out as they exit the theatre in a positive way.”
With recent re-releases throughout the world, the first “Avatar” is currently just shy of $3 billion in worldwide earnings. However, Cameron’s initial goal of having a sequel ready by 2014 was repeatedly pushed back as his technical aspirations expanded.
The second film continues the original’s blend of sci-fi and eco-politics, returning to the planet Pandora where the Na’vi protagonists strive to ward off predatory humans, as well as the breakthrough use of 3D and cutting-edge visual wizardry.
Stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver return, with fresh additions including Kate Winslet, who returns a quarter-century after working with Cameron on Titanic. Some fans arrived early in central London in order to secure a valuable wristband granting access to the red carpet at the evening screening.
The second film continues the original’s blend of sci-fi and eco-politics, returning to the planet Pandora where the Na’vi protagonists strive to ward off predatory humans, as well as the breakthrough use of 3D and cutting-edge visual wizardry.
Stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver return, with fresh additions including Kate Winslet, who returns a quarter-century after working with Cameron on Titanic. Some fans arrived early in central London in order to secure a valuable wristband granting access to the red carpet at the evening screening.
The follow-up remains a huge bet for Cameron and for Disney, who have ploughed hundreds of millions of dollars not only into this film but a third instalment that has already been shot.
That is not the end: Cameron has planned the series through to a fifth entry, with new films due every two years until 2028. Cameron said he was “reasonably confident” they would be released. “We did well with the first film and that allows us to go on… we got to see what happens.”
