Not to be confused with a back-to-back filming schedule, the next four Avatar sequels will be shot side by side. A scene from the second film today perhaps, a scene from the fourth tomorrow, and then back to a scene from the third film the next day. The scenario I’ve just mentioned isn’t literally what the Avatar sequels’ filming schedule looks like, but that’s what James Cameron means by calling it a simultaneous shoot. Principle photography for the four films has begun just yesterday.
That said, how many people are actually excited about the prospect of at least four more Avatar films? If the results of our poll over at our YouTube channel are any indication, only about 20% are entirely on board. And while the sample size of the audience of moviegoers is relatively small (at just over 250 participants), our demographics are geared towards a more geek culture savvy audience, a culture that currently dominates the box office numbers. That means, of the people who are most willing to spend time and money on this kind of franchise, very few actually care.
And there are a number of reasons this news is garnering such a poor response. 1) The sequels are too late, having not struck while the iron was hot. 2) Nostalgia for the franchise hasn’t sunk in, and probably never will. 3) The moviegoing landscape has changed dramatically. And 4) the film was more of an impressive display of 3D technology than it actually was a solid film.
UPDATE: The four sequels have a combined budget of $1 BILLION, meaning the budget allotted to each is more or less $250 million.
What are your thoughts? Is 4 films too many? Because it’s the highest grossing film of all time, does that necessarily mean it needs to have a sequel? And is it too late to do so?