20th Century Fox
"Avatar."
"Avatar 2" was originally supposed to be released in 2014, five years after the 2009 original, which went on to become the highest-grossing movie of all time. But that didn't happen, and then the sequel missed a couple other dates over the years, and now the latest projected 2018 release isn't going to happen either, according to Cameron. This is the fifth date set for the sequel's release and the fourth delay.
In a recent interview with the Toronto Star, Cameron broke down the complexities of making not just one sequel, but four:
"Well, 2018 is not happening. We haven't announced a firm release date. What people have to understand is that this is a cadence of releases. So we're not making 'Avatar 2.' We're making 'Avatar 2,' '3,' '4,' and '5.' It's an epic undertaking. It's not unlike building the Three Gorges dam. [Laughs] So I know where I'm going to be for the next eight years of my life. It's not an unreasonable time frame if you think about it. It took us four and a half years to make one movie and now we're making four. We're full-tilt boogie right now. This is my day job and pretty soon we'll be 24-7. We're pretty well-designed on all our creatures and sets. It's pretty exciting stuff. I wish I could share with the world. But we have to preserve a certain amount of showmanship and we're going to draw that curtain when the time is right."
Cameron has been known his whole career for his intense work ethic and attention to detail, so no one should think he's gliding around in his submarine and not working.
But Cameron is also always pushing the technology of cinema, so it shouldn't be a surprise if Cameron's delay is so the tech can catch up to his vision.
So as we patiently wait for our next trip to Pandora, you can head over to the "Avatar" attraction that is coming to Disney World later this year. Check it out below.
20th Century Fox did not immediately response to Business Insider's request for comment.