Avatar (franchise)

''Avatar'' is an American media franchise created by James Cameron, which consists of a planned series of epic science fiction films produced by Lightstorm Entertainment and distributed by 20th Century Studios, as well as associated merchandise, video games and theme park attractions. The ''Avatar'' franchise is one of the most expensive franchises ever undertaken, with the combined budget of the first film and its four sequels estimated at $1 billion.

The first installment, ''Avatar'', was released on December 18, 2009, and is the highest grossing film of all-time. The second installment, '' The Way of Water'', was released on December 16, 2022. The planned sequel series was announced by 20th Century Fox on December 11, 2009, one week before ''Avatar'' was released to theaters. 20th Century Fox had confirmed the series on January 15, 2010.

Like the original film, the four sequels have "fully encapsulated" standalone plots that "come to their own conclusions". The four films have an overarching meta-narrative that connects them to create a large interconnected saga. Cameron described the sequels as "a natural extension of all the themes, and the characters, and the spiritual undercurrents" of the first film.

Films

''Avatar'' (2009)

The story focuses on an epic conflict on Pandora, an inhabited Earth-sized moon of Polyphemus, one of three gas giants orbiting Alpha Centauri A. On Pandora, human colonists and the sentient humanoid indigenous inhabitants of Pandora, the Na'vi, engage in a war over the planet's resources and the latter's continued existence. The film's title refers to the remotely controlled, genetically engineered human-Na'vi bodies used by the film's human characters to interact with the natives.

''Avatar: The Way of Water'' (2022)

Set over a decade after the events of the first film, ''The Way of Water'' focuses on the return of the RDA, which prompts Jake's family to explore the water regions of Pandora in an effort to keep one another safe and face down a familiar threat. Cameron said in an interview that while the first film was about the "awe and wonder", the sequel focuses more on the characters. The film was originally planned for a December 2014 release, but was delayed several times and released on December 16, 2022. Production began in August 2017. It wrapped in September 2020.

''Avatar 3'' (2024)

A third film is planned for December 20, 2024. Interviews in mid 2010 suggested that the third film would explore more of the Alpha Centauri system, but the script was not completed until late 2015. ''Avatar 3'' started shooting simultaneously with ''Avatar: The Way of Water'' in New Zealand on September 25, 2017; filming was completed in late-December 2020. While two additional sequels are planned, their release is dependent on the success of the second and third films.

''Avatar 4'' (2026)

A fourth film is planned for December 18, 2026, with Shane Salerno co-writing it. Jon Landau said that, due to a six-year time skip in the first act, a third of ''Avatar 4'' has already been filmed to account for the aging of the child actors, and it was announced at the D23 Expo on September 9, 2022, that principal photography had officially begun for ''Avatar 4''.

''Avatar 5'' (2028)

A fifth film has been announced and is scheduled for December 22, 2028. Jon Landau has stated that ''Avatar 5'' will take place on Earth, with Neytiri visiting the planet.

Future

In 2022, Cameron indicated that he has plans for a sixth and seventh film and would make them if there was demand.

Cast and characters

Production details

Reception

The first film grossed $2.9 billion worldwide and is currently the highest-grossing film in history. The film was well received critically and received many awards.

Accolades

Music

'' Avatar: Music from the Motion Picture'' was scored by James Horner and released on December 15, 2009, by Atlantic Records and Fox Music. Simon Franglen's score for ''Avatar: The Way of Water'' released on December 15, 2022, by Hollywood Records.

Singles

* " I See You (Theme from ''Avatar'')"
* " Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)"

Other media

Video games

Novels

Following the release of ''Avatar'', Cameron initially planned to write a novel based on the film, "telling the story of the movie, but oinginto much more depth about all the stories that we didn't have time to deal with."

In 2013, this plan was superseded by the announcement of four new novels set within the "''Avatar'' expanded universe", to be written by Steven Gould. The books were due to be published by Penguin Random House, although since 2017, there has been no update on the planned book series.

In July 2022, the first graphic novel based on the ''Avatar'' franchise was announced.

Books

'' The Art of Avatar'' is a film production art book released on November 30, 2009, by Abrams Books.

On January 22, 2022, the official twitter account of Avatar announced that a new book exploring the world and lore of Pandora called ''The World of Avatar: A Visual Exploration'' will be released April 26, 2022, published by DK Books.

Comic books

In October 2015, Dark Horse Comics signed a 10-year partnership to publish ''Avatar'' comics.

On May 6, 2017, Dark Horse Comics published a Free Comic Book Day one-shot entitled ''FCBD 2017: James Cameron's Avatar / Briggs Land'', which included a short story set in the world of ''Avatar'' entitled "Brothers".
From January to August 2019, Dark Horse published a six-issue miniseries called ''Avatar: Tsu'tey's Path''.
''Tsu'tey's Path'' was collected in trade paperback format on November 27, 2019, with "Brothers" included as supplementary material.

Live show

'' Toruk – The First Flight'' is an original stage production by the Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil which ran between December 2015 and June 2019. Inspired by ''Avatar'', the story is set in Pandora's past, involving a prophecy concerning a threat to the Tree of Souls and a quest for totems from different tribes. Audience members could download an app in order to participate in show effects. On January 18, 2016, it was announced via the Toruk Facebook page that filming for a DVD release had been completed and was undergoing editing.

Exhibition

''Avatar The Exhibition'' is a touring exhibition based on the first film. It opened in Chengdu, China on May 1, 2021, and closed on December 31, 2021. It is currently touring Asia with future stops planned around the globe.

Theme park attraction

In 2011, Cameron, Lightstorm, and Fox entered an exclusive licensing agreement with the Walt Disney Company to feature ''Avatar''-themed attractions at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts worldwide, including a themed land for Disney's Animal Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The area, known as Pandora – The World of ''Avatar'', opened on May 27, 2017.

The themed land is set generations after the events of the films and features two attractions; ''Avatar'' Flight of Passage and Na'vi River Journey.

References

External links

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{{Disney franchises

20th Century Studios franchises
Science fiction film franchises
Film series introduced in 2009