When the long-awaited sequel to James Cameron’s (68) science fiction blockbuster “Avatar” hits the cinemas on December 14th, a lot of staying power will be required. As various US industry websites report, “The Way of Water” will run for 190 minutes, ie last over three hours. This would make the sequel around half an hour longer than the original from 2009, which was not exactly entertaining at two hours and 41 minutes.
Still, it wouldn’t be Cameron’s longest flick – “Titanic” is slightly ahead at three hours and 14 minutes. In addition to the two Cameron works, numerous Marvel productions recently proved that overly long films are not poison at the box office. After “Avatar”, “Avengers: Endgame” and “Titanic” complete the top 3 most commercially successful films of all time.
However, Cameron does not seem to think much of the MCU competition and its DC counterpart. He recently sharply criticized at least the character drawings in the respective comic book adaptations. The superheroes “have relationships, but in reality they don’t have any. They never give up their spurs for their children. The things that really ground us and give us strength, love and purpose? These characters don’t experience that, and I don’t think that’s the way a film should be made.”
The action of the “Avatar” sequel takes place more than a decade after the original. During this time, the main characters of “Avatar”, former human Jake Sully (Sam Worthington, 46) and native Na’vi Neytiri (Zoe Saldana, 44), have apparently pushed ahead with their family planning – three biological children (two sons and one daughter) they shall have, plus raise an adopted human child. In addition to Worthington and Saldana, Stephen Lang (70), Sigourney Weaver (73) and Giovanni Ribisi (47) will return, and “Titanic” star Kate Winslet (47) will also be there.
The upcoming return to Pandora is far from over with a sequel. Three more sequels will follow in the coming years. If everything goes according to plan, “Avatar 5” should be the end of the series in 2028.
