The 2009 sci-fi blockbuster ''Avatar'' is going to have not two but three sequels, all of which will be shot in New Zealand, director James Cameron announced earlier today.
Though Cameron had revealed plans of making three sequels of the film earlier in August this year, he confirmed shooting plans in Wellington, Sunday.
"The Avatar sequels will provide hundreds of jobs and thousands of hours of work directly in the screen sector as well as jobs right across the economy," Reuters quoted Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce as saying in a statement.
If things go according to the plan, Cameron believes he can wrap up principal shooting for all three films over a period of 9 months. He also revealed plans to make the movies in 3D and to shoot at least some sequences at 48 frames a second. He also hopes to shoot all the sequels at one time. The films will be made by Twentieth Century Fox and Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment, according to The Guardian.
It seems like New Zealand's government is going out of its way to make Cameron and his team feel at home. Reports have it that the government has offered the director a 25% financial rebate, as opposed to the 15% rebate. No details of the films' budget have been revealed though a rough estimate revealed that all three films may be produced at a budget of less than $1 billion.
The Wrap reported earlier that Cameron plans on releasing the first sequel, "Avatar 2," December 2016, the third in December 2017 and the fourth in December 2018.
"Building upon the world we created with 'Avatar' has been a rare and incredibly rewarding experience. In writing new films, I've come to realize that 'Avatar's' world, story and characters have become even richer than I anticipated, and it became apparent that two films would not be enough to capture everything I wanted to put on screen," the report quoted Cameron as saying. "And to help me continue to expand this universe, I'm pleased to bring aboard Amanda, Rick, Shane and Josh - all writers I've long admired - to join me in completing the films screenplays."
The original "Avatar", released in 2009, remains the highest-grossing movie of all time, earning US$2.78 billion worldwide, according to industry website boxofficemojo.com. It was also the recipient of three Academy Awards.
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