Iconic director James Cameron has revealed that if Avatar 3 does not perform well, he will be retiring from the franchise. After spending two decades in Pandora and the world of Avatar, Cameron revealed to The Town Podcast that he’s ready to walk away.
According to the director, he is quite sure that Avatar: Fire and Ash will be a financial success, but in the rare instance that it doesn’t, he will simply walk away from the franchise.
It is a metric f*ckton of money, which means we need to make two metric f*cktons of money to make a profit.
He continued,
I have no doubt in my mind that this movie will make money. The question is, does it make enough money to justify doing it again? Yeah [I’d walk away], absolutely. Sure.
Well, considering the fact that the movies do need a lot of budget to be produced, especially the Avatar franchise, here’s the exact number that James Cameron would need to continue making more Avatar movies.
How Much Will Avatar 3 Need to Earn for James Cameron to Continue?
Although the reports do remain unconfirmed, we have a fair idea of how much the production of Avatar: Fire and Ash would have cost. With the VFX and the CGI taking a big chunk of the budget, James Cameron’s movies aren’t cheaply made.
According to Collider, it has been reported that the budget for Avatar: Fire and Ash is stated to be around $250 million. Although it is just a bit less than its predecessors, it seems that James Cameron is aware of the box office earning capabilities of his Avatar franchise.
With the production budget for the movie being $250 million, the movie needs to earn 2 to 2.5 times its production budget to be considered a successful flick. With that math, James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash will need to earn anywhere between $500 to $625 million to break even.
It probably wouldn’t be a problem for James Cameron since his previous Avatar films have crossed the two-billion-dollar mark in theaters upon release.
Key Facts About:AvatarAvatar: The Way of WaterDirected By:James CameronJames CameronCast:Zoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington, Sigourney WeaverZoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington, Sigourney WeaverRelease Date:December 18, 2009December 16, 2022IMDb Rating:7.9/107.5/10Rotten Tomatoes Score:81%76%Worldwide Box Office:$2.7 billion$2.3 billionProduction House:Lightstorm EntertainmentLightstorm EntertainmentWhere to Watch:Disney+Disney+
James Cameron Will Not Lose the Avatar Franchise to Another Director Completely
James Cameron | Credit: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 Via Wikimedia Commons
Well, although the director admitted that he will walk away from the Avatar franchise, it doesn’t mean that the franchise will completely… end. In fact, the director has already thought of a backup plan, a scenario where he is not sitting in the director’s chair when Avatar 4 is underway.
According to the director, he would not direct the movie, but would remain as a close producer of Avatar 4, just so that the other director can make the franchise continue smoothly.
I don’t think there’d ever be a version where there’s another Avatar movie that I didn’t produce closely. But, in terms of it taking over my life, that’s a threshold issue for me.
The final talk that remains is that Avatar: Fire and Ash could indeed be James Cameron’s final visit to Pandora, or it could spawn two more sequels by earning enough money.
Do you think James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash will force the director to walk away? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Avatar: Fire and Ash will release on December 19, 2025, in theaters (USA).
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