Avatar Director James Cameron Reacts to Possibly Only Making Sequels for the Rest of His Career

Filmmaker James Cameron has confirmed that there will be three more Avatar sequels following Avatar: The Way of Water, and even hinted that a sixth and seventh film are both possible, leading audiences to wonder if he’ll ever invest his time into making a film that doesn’t include Na’vi. During a conversation with other top directors, Cameron expressed that, while he might be committed to the Avatar franchise for the rest of his life, the sprawling nature of that universe means that he’ll still likely be able to tell just about any type of adventure he’d like, just within the setting of this otherworldly series. Avatar: The Way of Water is in theaters now.

During a conversation for Empire magazine, RRR director S. S. Rajamouli asked Cameron whether he feels bad that his commitments to Avatar prevent him from exploring other stories, with Cameron replying, “Two thoughts in answer to your question: the first is that the world of Avatar is so sprawling that I can tell most of the stories I want to tell within it and try many of the stylistic techniques that I hope to explore.” He added, “And secondly, yes… our time as artists is finite. I will always mourn some of the stories that I don’t get to make.”

The filmmaker did point out, though, the various other times he’s collaborated with other filmmakers to help bring a story to life, even if he wasn’t specifically directing them.

“I feel a great satisfaction when other directors want to explore some of my ideas, like Kathryn Bigelow did with Strange Days, and Robert Rodriguez did when I passed him the baton on Alita: Battle Angel,” Cameron added. “I look forward to more collaborations in the future with directors I admire.”

The next three films in the Avatar franchise all have release dates, which will take us through 2028. While principal photography on Avatar 3 has completed and some scenes have been filmed for Avatar 4, the fifth installment is the only entry that hasn’t filmed anything. While Cameron is clearly committed to bringing all of these films to life, it’s worth noting that, while The Way of Water has only been out for two weeks, it’s possible that the future of the series will be modified based on the financial returns of each installment.

Stay tuned for details on the future of the Avatar franchise.

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