Disney Delays ‘Avatar’ Sequels Release Dates

Disney has announced the official release dates for James Cameron’s four Avatar sequels – and they will be arriving later than expected. The Avatar release dates were confirmed in a new press release about the upcoming slate of Disney movies after the recent acquisition of 20th Century Fox; Avatar 2 will now be arriving on the weekend before Christmas on 2021 – a full year later than the current expected release date of December 18, 2020.

Here’s what Disney put out in its official press release:

“Four forthcoming Avatar films, expanding the vibrant world of Pandora, will release on the pre-Christmas weekend every other year beginning in 2021. In the holiday corridor for 2020,”

For those who are not quick on the numbers, here’s what that release schedule rounds out to:

• Avatar 2 – December 17, 2021
• Avatar 3 – December 15, 2023
• Avatar 4 – December 19, 2025
• Avatar 5 – December 17, 2027

As of now, James Cameron has already wrapped principal production on both Avatar 2 & 3. Those two films seem to be the middle and final chapter of a trilogy featuring Stephen Lang’s villain from the original film, Miles Quaritch. While that’s just speculation, the late-game addition of some major new cast members after initial filming wrap (namely Sopranos star Edie Falco as “General Ardmore”) suggests that Avatar 4 could begin a new chapter, with a new antagonist. Furthering that assumption has been the recent teases that Fast & Furious star Vin Diesel is also being added to the Avatar sequels, presumably for this next chapter (but again, that’s just rumor and speculation).

The biggest question remains whether or not fans are still as invested in Pandora as they were during Avatar‘s unprecedented success way back in 2009. Disney is showing confidence in the franchise with this release date schedule reveal – something analysts questioned as the Disney/Fox merger was being negotiated. It’s always risky betting against James Cameron, so we’ll have to wait until 2021 to see for ourselves.

Are you excited for the return of Avatar? Are you invested enough to watch four more films in this franchise? Let us know in the comments!

Avatar 2 arrives in theaters on December 17, 2021; Avatar 3 on December 15, 2023; Avatar 4 on December 19, 2025; and Avatar 5 on December 17, 2027.

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