James Cameron starts production on Avatar sequels; collective budget to exceed $1 billion

Los Angeles: Filmmaker James Cameron has started the production in Manhattan Beach on the four Avatar sequels he is shooting in succession. It will be the most expensive shoot of its kind, at an estimated collective budget expected to surpass $1 billion, reported Deadline. [caption id=“attachment_4090541” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A still from James Cameron’s Avatar. Image from Facebook/@avatarthefilm[/caption] Fox is releasing the first Avatar sequel on December 18, 2020, and the next comes a year later, with the last two in December 2024 and 2025. The epic sci-fi film franchise stars Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Cliff Curtis, Oona Chaplin and Joel David Moore. The director recently made headlines because of his critical take on Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman, which starred Gal Gadot. He has defended his critique and said that he still believes the film was “a step backwards”. Cameron had said that the Gal Gadot-starrer did no service to the cause of equality as it presents Wonder Woman/ Diana Prince as an objectified icon. In a new interview, James Cameron said, “Yes, Ill stand by that. I mean, she [Gadot] was Miss Israel, and she was wearing a kind of bustier costume that was very form- fitting. Shes absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. To me, that’s not breaking ground,” he said. “As much as I applaud Patty directing the film and Hollywood, uh, letting a woman direct a major action franchise, I didnt think there was anything groundbreaking in Wonder Woman. I thought it was a good film. Period,” he said. The Avatar director was, however, willing to admit one thing he finds agreeable with the movie that Wonder Woman “sexually had the upper hand with the male character,” which he thought was fun.