Avatar broke barriers upon its release years ago, and fans of the fantastical epic have been waiting to see the rest of its story. Director James Cameron and Disney were all set to debut Avatar 2 next year as work on the sequels got underway. Now, new reports confirm the sequels have all been delayed by a year, and Cameron has softened the blow for fans in a new statement.
Videos by ComicBook.com
For those wanting to know the bare basics, here they are: Avatar 2, Avatar 3, Avatar 4, and Avatar 5 have all been delayed on Walt Disney’s release calendar. The second will slated to debut on December 17, 2021 but has now been shifted to December 16, 2022.
This trend continues for the three other sequels. You can check out the full list of Avatar delays below along with their new release dates:
- AVATAR 2 (20th) previously dated on 12/17/21 moves to 12/16/22
AVATAR 3 (20th) previously dated on 12/22/23 moves to 12/20/24
AVATAR 4 (20th) previously dated on 12/19/25 moves to 12/18/26
AVATAR 5 (20th) previously dated on 12/17/27 moves to 12/22/28
Over on Twitter, Cameron reached out to fans to address the delay. It is there the director admits the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed production too far to meet the sequels’ original release dates.
“Prior to COVID-19, everything was on track to bring you the first sequel in December of 2021. Unfortunately, due to the impact that the pandemic has had on our schedule it is no longer possible for us to make that date,” he wrote.
A message from James Cameron.
Irayo, Na’vi Nation. Stay safe. 💙 pic.twitter.com/Uwi2J6xF4k
— Avatar (@officialavatar) July 23, 2020
“There is no one more disappointed about this delay than me. But I am buoyed by the incredible performances of our cast and extraordinary work that Weta Digital is doing bringing the world of Pandora and the characters of the film to life.”
This massive schedule shift is not the only one to impact Disney. Shortly before these Avatar delays were announced, the company confirmed it has taken Mulan off its release schedule and pushed back several other films including its untitled Star Wars movies.
Are you surprised by these delayed release dates? Do you still plan on seeing Avatar 2 in 2022? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!
