It’s been 13 years since the release of the initial Avatar film by James Cameron, and audiences are still waiting for the follow-up, Avatar: The Way of Water, to hit theaters later this year. A need for new technology and the planning and mapping out of four subsequent sequels is the reason for the lengthy delay between the first and second films. However, now that the Avatar team has everything they need to continue, the franchise’s production is in full swing.

Despite The Way of Water still preparing for release, producer Jon Landau confirmed to Variety that Avatar 4 has already completed its first act. “We’ve completed most of the first act of Avatar 4, and there were logistical reasons why we needed to do that,” he explains. “We’ve designed most of the whole movie for Avatar 4, but we haven’t actually filmed all of it — just the first act.”

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It’s hard to believe Avatar will begin pumping out sequels so quickly, but that’s exactly what Cameron wants. He’s managed to hold audiences’ interest over the last 13 years, and he doesn’t want to try his hand at that again. “We could not have delivered what people saw today, five years ago, eight years ago, nine years ago. We needed the time to take it to the level that we’re able to deliver to people today.” Fans should be excited about The Way of Water, and the eventual sequels, as the technology used in the original Avatar was groundbreaking. Audiences expect no different when Avatar: The Way of Water arrives in theaters on Dec. 16.

When Can Fans Expect Each Avatar Sequel?

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Avatar: The Way of Water is a long time coming, but fans don’t need to wait much longer. The sequel, arriving on Dec. 16, will begin the first of four planned iterations in the franchise from the mind of James Cameron. The director stated in 2010 that The Way of Water and Avatar 3 would film back-to-back, meaning the third picture is nearly complete and ready for release. Of course, an immense amount of post-production goes into the movies, where most of the work takes place.

Avatar 3 is currently set to arrive on December 20, 2024, barring no delays, of course. The fourth installment will come two years later, premiering in theaters on December 18, 2026. Finally, the fifth and final film in the Avatar franchise has a release date set for December 22, 2028. However, fans would like to see the second movie hit the big screen before preparing for a third, fourth, and fifth entry. Of course, if Avatar: The Way of Water reaches anywhere near the success of the first film, Cameron will undoubtedly be eager to get the sequels out quickly.