Stephen Lang returning for Avatar 2, 3, 4

Pandora: home of the undead

Deadline is reporting that Stephen Lang will be returning for the trio of "Avatar" sequels that begin filming next year, in spite of the fact that he was killed good at the end of the original film. According to writer/director James Cameron  

“Steven was so memorable in the first film, we’re privileged to have him back... I’m not going to say exactly HOW we’re bringing him back, but it’s a science fiction story, after all. His character will evolve into really unexpected places across the arc of our new three-film saga. I really look forward to working with such a gifted actor, who’s also become a good friend.”

Well alright! I'm assuming if they can bring back scarface then it won't be any problem bringing back 'home tree' too. And while we're at it let's not forget Dr Grace Augustine. (Oops! Chris tells me Sigourney's already said she's coming back. Yikes!)

Sam Worthington on Avatar sequels

Though it seems like he's dropped off the edge of the planet since "Avatar" Sam Worthington is apparently still alive and kicking and resurfaced this past week to give a radio interview in which he touched briefly on the fate of the much-delayed "Avatar" sequels and indicated that there is apparently a genuine start date in place for production. Said Worthington:


"I think Jim is building the ship to Pandora to be honest... We are going to start this time next year and we will do two, three and four. I'll be grateful if it finishes." 

While any news is good news regarding Avatar, when you do the math it seems like holding your breath for the sequels would not be a good idea. Let's see: they start filming in 1 year, then 1 year of production, then at least 1 year of post production on each film plus inevitable delays... whew! Wake me up when we get there.

Get ready for the "Avatar" quadrilogy

Seems like only yesterday word was leaking out that James Cameron had hired Josh Friedman to help him finish the script for "Avatar 2". That's because it was! Now we have official word from the king of the world himself that he's not only hired Friedman, but Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), and Shane Salerno (Savages) as well. That's a lot of writers. But that's not all folks. No. Not by a long shot. Because in announcing that he'd hired the aforementioned writers Cameron also let slip that there will be not 2 but 3 sequels to his box office champion. Here's part of his announcement:

“Building upon the world we created with Avatar has been a rare and incredibly rewarding experience... In writing the new films, I’ve come to realize that Avatar’s world, story and characters have become even richer than I anticipated, and it became apparent that two films would not be enough to capture everything I wanted to put on screen. And to help me continue to expand this universe, I’m pleased to bring aboard Amanda, Rick, Shane and Josh — all writers I’ve long admired -­ to join me in completing the films screenplays.”

If there's a downside to this whole thing it's that he's also officially pushed back the release date of Avatar 2 to December 2016 and that's a loooooonnnngg way off yet. So enjoy the news about the extra film Avatar fans but get on with your life because it's going to be a while before we see Pandora on the big screen again.