Canadian filmmaker James Cameron has claimed that Avatar 2 might be ready for release by its intended date, December 2021 despite studios around the world remaining shut down due to the coronavirus outbreak.
He has been shooting both Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 for the past few years, with Avatar 2 currently scheduled for a December 17, 2021 release.
The director admitted that the coronavirus lockdown has ‘put a major crimp in our stride,’ but is confident that the sequel will arrive on time.
“I want to get back to work on Avatar 2, which right now we’re not allowed to do under state emergency laws or rules. So it’s all on hold right now,” Cameron said from his home in Malibu where he is currently in quarantine.
He was set to shoot in New Zealand that got pushed due to the lockdown but is trying to get back to it as quick as he can.
The director hopes there will be no more release date delays due to New Zealand’s aggressive response to the virus.
“On the bright side, New Zealand seems to have been very effective in controlling the virus and their goal is not mitigation, but eradication, which they believe that they can do with aggressive contact tracing and testing,” he said.
“So there’s a very good chance that our shoot might be delayed a couple of months, but we can still do it. So that’s good news,” the filmmaker added.
Currently, digital work is still being done by visual effects artists working from home.
Avatar 2 is said to take place 12 years. It became the highest-grossing movie of all time when it was released in 2009,
