James Cameron Says Studio Pushed Back Against Adding ‘Avatar’ Sequels, So He Asked: ‘What Part of You Getting Another Chance to Make $2 Billion Is in Question Here?’

https://variety.com/2025/film/news/james-cameron-studio-pushback-avatar-sequels-1236603271/

40 comments

  2. He’s not wrong. The man is tom Brady for making money. You think his ridiculous sequel wouldn’t make money but it absolutely crushes. I expect this one to do the same.

  5. The sequels are a hit. I am not super into them but that doesn’t mean no one else is. I think the studios are missing the connection from the fans and audience.

  6. The sequel would have been a lot better if they removed the 45 minute alien planet nature documentary in the middle of it.

  7. legend has it that in Cameron’s pitch meeting, he wrote *Avatar* on a chalkboard, then proceeded to add an *S* then a line through it: *AVATAR$*

  8. This makes sense because the article states that this was after Avatar 1. Not 2. So a studio was looking at James Cameron’s 4 movie sequel plan going, “WTF?” I mean Avatar 1 being a success did not mean 2 would have been. I think now a days its more a bet studios would be willing to make

  10. There are many, many worse ways to spend $20 and three hours of your time than watching a James Cameron epic. Won’t ever be too hard to get my ass in a seat to see what he’s come up with this time.

  11. I really want to know why these movies are doing well. They’re so so bad, its fascinating

  12. James Cameron is dangerously confident that people won’t get bored of his CG festival that looks more and more like AI slop then an actual interesting movie.

  13. As the old saying goes: if the answer is money, what was the question?

  14. Blech. Gross people in charge of “culture”. Your billion dollar franchise is literal garbage, James.

  15. “We wanna see your version of Battle Alita and that Hiroshima movie instead of three decades of Avatar.”

    ~ how the studio should have responded

  16. Studios are more incline to throw a lot of money at a project if they know it’s going to make money than throw little money at something that might flop or boom.

    I think this Avatar is going to make money, but I’m not sure it’ll be more than what others have expected.

  19. 2nd movie was really good, look forward to the 3rd.

  20. What could they possibly say against that? James Cameron is seemingly the one safe bet left in Hollywood. I still dont understand how the Avatar movies make as much as they do, but until they don’t it seems pretty stupid to not bet on them.

  21. “Look at all the money I made you”

    “yes but you took over a decade to deliver the movie, the budget is one of the biggest of all time and the big attraction was 3D but that’s dying on its arse as a concept. Can’t you just make big cool ass blockbusters that bring in the money every few years and build big superstars that we can use in other movies while you’re off looking for squidward?”

  22. When Avatar came out, I saw it in IMAX 3D and was blown away. Eventually, I realized my fondness of the film was actually for the novelty of the 3D, because once I watched it again at home, I realized how much the movie lacked. Over the years I came to just think Avatar was mediocre and never saw or heard about a fan base after the first year of the movie coming out.

    I was surprised to see how much the sequel made. Could be that the studio didn’t make the money as fast as they wanted and are equating that to slowing demand. It’s possible. But it seems like the films have an audience. It would be dumb to not take their money.

  23. He says the studio pushed back, but in reality I imagine it was one guy who doesn’t like Cameron and Cameron is playing the victim. Studios love sequels, especially from successful movies.

  24. the movies suck Jim, that’s what they were worried about.

  26. Imagine having to persoanlly go to bat for a film that will make execs 2 billion.

    Nuff said.

  31. Because if the next one flops it’ll ruin the studio that produced it?

  32. James Cameron apparently doesn’t understand the concept of diminishing returns. The first movie is mid and only did well because people wanted to see well done 3D. Two did well because it was a sequel and three will do well because it ends the story. Anything after that will not be doing the same numbers.

  34. I recently went to the new avatar screening and afterwards James Cameron came out with Guillermo del toro and they did a Q and A.

    James told a funny story that the studio wanted him to remove all the flying scenes in the first avatar to cut the time down, but he didn’t want to because he thought it was beautiful. They went back and forth and it ended with James telling the exec “ you know titanic paid for this building we’re sitting in right? I get to have this.”

  35. Lmao. What a baller. The man isn’t wrong. The people yearn for the blue aliens.

  36. I’ve watched those movies at least 3 times each in cinema theaters. These movies are a treat for big-screens.

  37. Here again to remind you all that Jim used Covid as an excuse to outsource his animators. My friend, who won him an Oscar, was cut out of her contract as he decided using cheaper animators in New Zealand was better. She went from LA career rise to having to move back to her home state.

  38. most confusing successful franchise to me ever. I only made it through about half of the second one. I don’t know anyone who has seen them in the theater, and no one ever brings them up in discussion.

  39. It’s funny reading stories like this, on the flip side you have studios giving $230 million to Leslye Headland for Star Wars the acolyte… and then you have this?

    I know the money amount is not the same… but I’m still confused as to how she landed such a Huge budget from Disney… like by what rights? Her directing the bachelorette was not that good.

  40. Seriously. The studios and producers seem allergic to promoting anything that’s not already proven, and from what I’ve heard funding anything original seems to be like pulling teeth.

    Then Cameron really has to somehow convince them to green light Goldmine Part 2 and 3?

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