Following in the footsteps of Peter Jackson, James Cameron has announced that the filming of his AVATAR sequels will take place in New Zealand. Put on the map after Jackson chose the location as the perfect double for Middle-earth for his LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, New Zealand has garnered a lot of interest from the world of film, with Cameron the latest to shift production to the country.
Filming of the first AVATAR was split between Los Angeles and New Zealand but it seems that Cameron wants to settle into one prime location, with hopes of filming all three sequels simultaneously. The iconic director announced his plans over the weekend whilst visiting Wellington. He also confirmed plans for the release of the sequels.
Production will start filming in 2015, with the first sequel set for a Christmas 2016 cinema debut. The next two instalments will then be released in 2017 and 2018, again more than likely in the Christmas release slot.
Both Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana will be returning for the sequels of the film that launched their careers. Plot details for the sequels are being kept relatively secret, though it was reported recently that Stephen Lang’s Col. Quadrich will return. The first visit to Pandora in 2009 resulted in phenomenal worldwide success, smashing box office records continuously, and hopes are high that the sequels will replicate this.
Source: Digital Spy
