‘Avatar 2’ to resume production as James Cameron arrives in New Zealand

​Avatar fans, who more than a decade later, are still waiting to return to Pandora for a sequel to the 2009 Box Office hit science-fiction film, would be delighted to know that director James Cameron is back in New Zealand.

Cameron is accompanied by Jon Landau, the film's producer, who posted a photo on his Instagram account of him and Cameron having just gotten off a plane at the Wellington International Airport.

Production of the long-awaited Avatar 2 was stopped in the middle of March when the coronavirus pandemic forced several countries, including New Zealand, to strictly impose a lockdown.

Although the 54-man production crew is already in New Zealand, work will have to wait until after two weeks as they are yet undergoing a 14-day self-isolation under the supervision of the New Zealand government.

It looks like Avatar 2 is on target for its release date of December 2021, which hopefully won't be pushed back as its original target date was December 2020. Although having waited for more than a decade already, it perhaps won't be a bother for the fans.

It shouldn't be as the sequel will be a four-film series to be released every other year with Avatar 5 slated for December 2027.

Cameron himself is not worried and remained unfazed even when Avengers: Endgame took over Avatar as having broken the all-time Box Office record.

Digital Spy reported that the Avengers: Endgame gave Cameron hope that people, in this advanced digital age, could still be enticed to pay and go inside a theatre and watch a movie.

Avatar 2, which might have the possible title of Avatar: The Way of the Water, is a fortune for New Zealand as many countries around the world are looking to revive their economy, especially those whose economy is largely based on tourism.

The film is benefitting as well from a location subsidy scheme of New Zealand.

Image credit courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Flickr