As the world buckles down and hopefully turns all attention towards mitigating the damage of the coronavirus, the azure exploits of James Cameron’s Avatar sequels are the latest in a wildfire spread of Hollywood postponements and readjustments.
We knew that Disney was halting production on a massive slate of their films and series due to the virus, with Avatar now confirmed to be on hiatus. On location, the New Zealand Film Commission confirmed a postponement “until further notice” when crew on standby overseas began to receive executive directions to suspend production.
Producers and other Los Angeles executives had plans to resume photography, however the trip has been cancelled in light of international travel complications and attempts to slow the spread of the virus. Producer Jon Landau said to the New Zealand Herald “[The studio has] delayed it,” mentioning the plans to travel to NZ. “… We made the decision to hold off and continue working here (in Los Angeles), and come down there a little bit later than we’d planned.”
Given the unorthodox planning of the Avatar sequels, with multiple films being worked on in some capacity, it would seem that production on any and all Avatar film has been halted. The release dates remain as follows
Avatar 2 – December 17, 2021
Avatar 3 – December 22, 2023
Avatar 4 – December 19, 2025
Avatar 5 – December 17, 2027
Given the unpredictable nature of so much of the coronavirus and its affect on the global entertainment sphere, anything is possible with these release dates.
‘Avatar’ Sequels Halt Production in New Zealand Due to Coronavirus Outbreak [Variety]
