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Following the Avatar: Fire and Ash trailer release, James Cameron reveals plans for an animated future for the franchise
The Avatar universe could soon extend into animation, as director James Cameron revealed new plans to expand the franchise beyond the big screen.
The Avatar universe could soon extend into animation, as British filmmaker James Cameron revealed new plans to expand the franchise beyond live-action versions the big screen. In a conversation with Empire, the director opened up about exploring Pandora through an animated anthology series—and possibly a feature film.
“I said, ‘Look, I want to do an animated anthology series that’s essentially in the world, but stories that you wouldn’t have expected from that world. There might even be an animated feature in there — it might be a feature for streaming, or a theatrical feature,” he said.
The 70-year-old also referenced examples of successful animated projects that expanded cinematic worlds. “A good early example is The Animatrix, where they went afield in the Matrix world. These are all great examples for how we can add texture and baroque detail to the world of Avatar,” he noted.
He suggested that these projects could delve into unexplored elements of the story. “Backstory on characters and tangential stuff that happened off-camera within the movies. Who first landed on Pandora? The first expedition. You could go anywhere you want,” James revealed.
While the animated ventures are clearly on his mind, James also acknowledged they’re still in the idea stage. “We haven’t done much with that yet. We’re still gathering our stories and that sort of thing, and I’ve got to find the boutique filmmakers, the animators, that want to do it,” he said.
Last week, the trailer for the third instlament in the franchise, titled Avatar: Fire and Ash, debuted in theaters ahead of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The makers officially released it smaller screens on Tuesday. So far, the Avatar saga has grossed $5.24 billion globally, with the 2009 original still standing as the highest-grossing film in history at $2.92 billion.
The familiar faces can still be counted upon as the immersive new adventure is glimpsed in the trailer of the James Cameron directorial. Marine turned Na’vi leader Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) returns with Na’vi warrior Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and the rest of the Sully family for one final battle. Also included in the battle are their children Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) and Lo’ak (Britain Dalton). The trailer introduces breathtaking new visuals without really revealing plot points of what is to come. At the end, it is about the battle for one's own identity.
