James Cameron Announces The Filming of Sci-Fi Epic 'Avatar 4' Has Begun

Anaheim, September 11 - Oscar-winning filmmaker James Cameron announced at D23 Expo that the production of Avatar 4 has officially started while filming continues on Avatar 3. The filmmaker wasn't present at D23 in person but did send in a video for attendees to offer updates on the upcoming Avatar sequels.

Cameron's long-awaited "Avatar: The Way of Water" closed out the Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century panel at the D23 Expo Saturday by handing out 3-D glasses to everyone in the audience and showing off six extended scenes from the movie, scheduled to release in December this year. The post-production continues on "Avatar 2".



Coming 13 years after the release of the original film, "Avatar 2" focuses on the oceans of Pandora, as new performance capture technology has been developed specifically for Cameron to shoot scenes underwater. Many of the film's cast had to learn how to free dive and hold their breath underwater to be able to perform their necessary scenes.

The new footage of "Avatar 2" was shown at the D23 Expo and hailed as a pure visual treat, including the best showcase for the underwater work, in which several younger Na'vi jump into a coral reef and swim around hundreds of vividly rendered aquatic wildlife.

20th Century Studios produced the film, with Cameron and Jon Landau producing on a budget of about $250 million, according to Variety. Three more films for the franchise are currently in development, with release dates set for 2024, 2026, and 2028.

Stay tuned...