He’s been talking about them for years (well, ever since the first one smashed the box office record seven years ago, a record it holds to this day) but James Cameron has finally admitted that his planned four Avatar sequels are a result of him “overwriting”.

That’s a second, third, fourth and fifth film we’re talking about, coming to a cinema near you for the better part of the next decade, so they’re going to need to be pretty special.

Cameron, the Oscar-winning writer and director of Titanic and The Terminator, has insisted that the studio is “very happy” with his films despite originally green-lighting only a single follow-up.

Avatar - Official Trailer

“The Avatar story arc was originally meant to be a trilogy, but I overwrite and my writers overwrote as well,” he told Variety. “But basically the first of the sequels cloned itself and became two films, so now it’s four films, and the studio’s very happy with it. They have an opportunity to make more money but it’s also an opportunity to spend a lot more money, too, so there’s a clench factor.”

The first sequel, known only as Avatar 2 at this early stage, is set to arrive in December 2018, followed by Avatar 3 in December 2020, Avatar 4 in December 2022 and Avatar 5 in December 2023. Replace ‘Christmas’ with Avatar and you get the picture.

Highest-grossing films of all time - ranked Show all 10 1 /10 Highest-grossing films of all time - ranked Highest-grossing films of all time - ranked 10. Avengers: Age of Ultron After the brilliant first Avengers, Age of Ultron had a lot to live up to. Reuniting the team wouldn’t be enough, they needed a worthy adversary. Unfortunately, with Joss Whedon trying to ram so many superheroes on screen at once, the result was not as polished nor as fun as its predecessor. Marvel Highest-grossing films of all time - ranked 9. Furious 7 One of the best films in the Fast and Furious franchise, Furious 7 features Paul Walker’s final performance on film. The all-thrills sequel was a surprisingly massive hit, with Vin Diesel since announcing another three films. Highest-grossing films of all time - ranked 8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow - Part 2 The final part in the epic Harry Potter saga was an emotional time for many: It would be the last time Daniel Radcliffe would have the iconic lightning bolt scar painted to his forehead. For that one reason, it was always going to be a success. Unfortunately, splitting JK Rowling’s final novel in two probably wasn’t the greatest idea, leading to one of the weakest entries in an all round great series. Highest-grossing films of all time - ranked 7. Iron Man 3 Coming straight off the back of Avengers, Iron Man 3 gave Robert Downey Jnr’s character PTSD, shoved in a protege, and made iconic villain The Mandarin a phoney. Some fans were not pleased while others thoroughly enjoyed the film. For Marvel fans, however, the third instalment in the Iron Man series is either one of the most hated MCU films or one of the greatest. Marvel Highest-grossing films of all time - ranked 6. Jurassic World Coming out 22 years after Jurassic Park, World was a fast paced action film that bombastically ran everyone through the new park. Chris Pratt’s performance was enjoyed by many, but the spectacle of dinosaurs on screen wasn’t quite as thrilling fourth time around. Highest-grossing films of all time - ranked 5. Frozen “Let it go, let it go!”, “Do you wanna build a snowman?” and “Love is an open doooooooooooor”. There, those should be in your head for a little while now. Disney managed to make a Christmas classic that won the hearts of children and adults alike with Frozen, making The Mouse millions in the process. Highest-grossing films of all time - ranked 4. Avatar The highest grossing film on the list, and for good reason. For many, Avatar was their first 3D cinematic experience, leaving people in awe of the spectacle they just witnessed. Hundreds went back multiple times (including myself), but many have forgotten about the once wonderful film. Whether it would make as much money today, now that every other film is in 3D, would be very, very interesting. Highest-grossing films of all time - ranked 3. Avengers Joss Whedon’s fist attempt at bringing together Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and The Hulk was masterfully executed. An action-packed romp featuring good guys v bad - what was not to love? Highest-grossing films of all time - ranked 2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens Joss Whedon’s fist attempt at bringing together Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and The Hulk was masterfully executed. An action-packed romp featuring good guys v bad - what was not to love? Highest-grossing films of all time - ranked 1. Titanic It was a close toss-up between Star Wars and Titanic for best 'highest-grossing film' movie, but the disaster film edged it. Cameron’s classic set a new precedent in 1997 for just how much money films could make, and it wasn’t until his return to cinema with Avatar that the record was broken again. It was also a critical success and, importantly, launched Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet into the spotlight.



Cameron’s first Avatar, released in 2009, quickly became the highest-grossing film of all time after making $2.8 billion at the global box office. Much of its success came down to its innovative use of 3D technology rather than its (decidedly average) storyline, so it will be interesting to see how the sequels will fare now 3D movies are commonplace.

“Obviously, expectations are going to be very high on these films, especially on Avatar 2, to make sure it wasn’t just some big fluke the first time,” the 61-year-old filmmaker said last year.