It’s no secret that the commercial success of the *Avatar* films in theaters has been on a slightly downward trajectory. While this is a decline by *Avatar’s* own lofty standards, *Avatar: Fire & Ash* (which garnered just under $1.5 billion, becoming the 16th highest-grossing film of all time) was somewhat disappointing when compared to the heights achieved by *Avatar: The Way of Water*, and especially the original *Avatar*.
This trend naturally leads to questions about whether Disney will proceed with *Avatar 4* and *5*, despite both films currently having tentative release dates.
Director James Cameron has previously stated that *Avatar 4* is “very probable” and that “nothing would stop him from making *Avatar 4 and 5*,” although his plans for the franchise *beyond* these two sequels remain uncertain.
However, producer Rae Sanchini, in an interview, confirmed that the next two films are still very much on the agenda, with initial work commencing on their planning, scheduling, and budgeting.
Sanchini elaborated: “Right now, we’re figuring out the schedule. We’re working hard on that right now, building out the budget, the schedule, the planning, building our new pipeline for them. As far as we’re concerned, we’re full steam ahead.”
Admittedly, with both blockbusters still in a relatively early pre-production phase, the previously mooted release dates of 2029 and 2031 appear somewhat improbable. Sanchini concurs, labeling them “provisional” and suggesting that more solid dates will be set “in the not-too-distant future.”
Nevertheless, Sanchini concluded with a definitive statement: “We have the scripts, they are brilliant. As far as I’m concerned, we’re moving forward.” This makes it clear that a return to Pandora is indeed on the agenda.