'Avatar 2' is an epic fantasy-adventure film directed by James Cameron. It will feature the return of Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana as Jake Sully and Princess Neytiri, respectively. The sequel will reportedly begin production in April 2016 in New Zealand despite lacking an official release date.
According to IGN, director James Cameron is set to begin production for the second installment of his highly popular adventure-fantasy series sometime in April 2016. The film recently disappeared from 20th Century Fox's 2017 release schedule and remains without a new official release date. Originally, the sequel was slated to premiere in theaters in late 2016 but was pushed back to a Christmas 2017 release last year.
Another article by NME revealed that principal photography will begin in April 15 in Manhattan Beach, California as well as New Zealand. The film's new plot will allegedly follow Jake Sully's permanent embodiment of his Na'Vi avatar and his new life with Princess Neytiri, portrayed by Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, respectively. Sigourney Weaver's Dr. Grace Augustine is rumored to return in some way despite meeting her eventual demise in the first film.
Cameron's original 2009 release broke several box office records and became the highest-grossing film of all time. It earned $2.7 billion against a budget of $237 million. Following its success, Cameron signed with Fox for three more sequels, making 'Avatar' a planned tetralogy. The subsequent films were previously announced to be released in between the years 2017 and 2019.
The first film was also nominated for nine Academy Awards and won three for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects. It was highly praised by critics for its groundbreaking visuals including techniques such as new motion capture animation technology and lighting systems. Microsoft also created a specialized cloud computing and Digital Asset Management system especially for Cameron's film, which helped keep track of multiple stages of digital processing.
According to The Wrap, 'Avatar 2' will be set in a totally different underwater world on the planet of Pandora. Cameron reportedly intended to shoot all the films in New Zealand continuously. Jon Landau will be returning to produce through Lightstorm Entertainment.
'Avatar 2' is the sequel to James Cameron's 2009 film of the same name and is intended as part of the planned tetralogy by 20th Century fox. No official release date has been confirmed as of the present.
