The wait for Avatar 2 is almost over. OK, not quite almost, but the long overdue sequel is finally getting closer and now has a shoot date.
According to Sigourney Weaver, one of the stars of the upcoming movie, the follow up to the 2009 epic will start shooting this autumn.
“We’re starting training, and we’re starting - hmm, I probably can’t say anything. We will be actually shooting it by the Fall,” Weaver told The Hollywood Reporter.
Although writer and director James Cameron has previously said that scripts for the next four Avatar films have already been finalised, the next instalment won’t hit screens until 2019 at the earliest - 10 years after Cameron made history with the original Avatar.
“I’m telling you, these scripts are so amazing, I’m not worried about [disappointing fans] at all,” she said.
“Am I worried about how we’re going to bring them to life? Yes, because they’re so ambitious.”
3D, but not as we know it
While many will be keen to simply watch the film, questions have already been raised around how exactly we’ll all watch it.
With the original Avatar having pioneered new advancements in motion capture of 3D technologies, Cameron is known to be keen to keep things progressing with the next space-set film.
Weaver’s talk of how ‘ambitious’ the next film will be only adds fuel to the first of the tech that’ll be used to bring the story to life.
As well as utilising the latest HDR technologies, Cameron has previously said he’s keen to experiment with glasses-free 3D for the future film.
"I’m going to push. Not only for better tools, workflow, high dynamic range (HDR) and high frame rates (HFR) - the things we are working toward… I’m still very bullish on 3D,” he said in a speech last year.
He added: “We need brighter projection, and ultimately I think it can happen - with no glasses. We’ll get there."
Although glasses-free 3D TVs have previously been demoed by a number of manufacturers, the technology has yet to be given a full scale consumer release, and it’s unclear how the technology would be adopted for cinemas.
While the wait for the next Avatar might be a long one, based on the potential tech it will push, it might just be worth it.
“They’re well worth waiting for,” Weaver said. “We’re trying to get it done as quickly as possible.”
