The most awaited sequel of James Cameron’s 2009 Avatar is all set to release this month. The director has been sharing some interesting details about the film. The expectations for the sequel are also high, as the original film is still the highest-grossing film worldwide. Considering most of the movies have been unable to do well at the box office, there are doubts that The Way of Water would not be able to live up to the bar set by the 2009 film.
However, director James Cameron seems confident about Avatar: The Way of Water. In his recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the director talked about the long runtime of the film and claimed that fans would watch the film multiple times.
James Cameron on Avatar: The Way of Water’s Runtime
Avatar: The Way of Water’s final runtime clocked in at 192 minutes. Director James Cameron said that after Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, he made it clear that he would not compromise the film’s runtime.
“I said [to Disney], ‘You bought this from a bunch of guys at Fox who agreed to a three-hour movie,’ because that’s what we said we were going to do. We’re going to play the epic game,” he said. When he was asked when the audience should take a bathroom break he said, “Anytime they want.”
The Titanic director further said that they could come to see the missed scenes when they come to see the movie again. Cameron said, “They can see the scene they missed when they come to see it again.”
He then shared that the sequel might not have a good opening. “We’ll know by the third weekend. You’re not going to know by the first weekend. Titanic didn’t work that way. Avatar didn’t work that way,” James Cameron claimed.
While the 2009 Avatar was highly praised for its visuals, the critics were not very impressed with the storytelling and characters of the film. With over a three hours runtime, the director intended to improve the biggest flaw of the 2009 Avatar.
The Way of Water will focus on Jake and Neytiri’s family. The sequel will explore the existing and new characters along with the regions of Pandora. The Aliens director is also confident that just like his previous films, The Way of Water will also bring the audience back to theatres to watch it multiple times.
The Upcoming Avatar Sequels Will be Market-Driven
While talking to The Hollywood Reporter, James Cameron talked about the future of the franchise. He said that filming for Avatar 3 and Avatar 4 is already done, and he has completed the script for the fifth film of the franchise.
“It’s all written out, stem to stern, four scripts, and fully designed. We know exactly where we’re going, if we get the opportunity to do it,” Cameron said. The Terminator director then shared that the sequels will be possible only if the people want. He said that the opportunity to release the upcoming sequels “will simply be market-driven.”
Avatar: The Way of Water’s budget is expected to be one of the highest in Hollywood history with an estimate of $350 million-$400 million. The director of the film has earlier said that the sequel would have to beat the third or the fourth highest-grossing film just to break even.
Considering his statement, there is no doubt that Cameron is once again aiming for the top spot among the highest-grossing films. Avatar: The Way of Water is projected to open at $135 million. Even if it manages to live up to the estimates, it would still take weeks to find out if the film would live up to its expectations.
Avatar: The Way of Water will release on 16 December 2022.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
