James Cameron Shot ‘Avatar 3’ and 4 Early to Avoid Ageing Issue

James Cameron made the revelation that scenes for ‘Avatar 3’ and 4 were shot in advance to avoid ‘Stranger Things’ style ageing issue with the younger cast members. 

The recently released ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ introduced multiple child characters, including Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, who was 7 years old when cast and is now 13) and Spider (Jack Champion, who was 12 when cast, but is now 18).

In a new interview, the director said that the first, second and third act of the fourth film had to be completed in one production, because Champion was “growing like a weed”.

“Otherwise, you get – and I love Stranger Things – but you get the Stranger Things effect, where they’re supposed to still be in high school [but] they look like they’re 27,” Cameron said. “You know, I love the show. It’s okay, we’ll suspend disbelief. We like the characters. But, you know.”

In the same interview, producer Jon Landau said that all newly introduced characters will continue to be part of the ‘Avatar’ story in the upcoming sequels. “Each movie is going to introduce audiences to new clans, new cultures on Pandora,” Landau said. “Once we introduce a character, they stay a part of the ongoing evolution. We just add to it.” 

“So you can expect to see the Metkayina that you meet in this movie in subsequent movies. There are other clans that we’ll introduce in movie 3 that you’ll see in movie 4 and so on and so forth.”

The ‘Avatar’ franchise is set to totally consist of five films, with a third, fourth and fifth yet to be released. However, Cameron recently suggested that the series may end after the third film if it doesn’t perform at the box office.

“The market could be telling us we’re done in three months, or we might be semi-done, meaning, ‘OK, let’s complete the story within movie three, and not go on endlessly,’ if it’s just not profitable,” the filmmaker said.

Filming of the third film is said to be completed, having been shot simultaneously with ‘The Way Of Water’. ‘Avatar 3’ is scheduled to be released on 20th December, 2024.

Riya Vivek