Earlier this month, the Avatar Twitter account shared photos of Cameron at work directing. The pictures show the same layer of floating balls as the new one, explaining that they’re meant to block excess light from penetrating the water and affecting filming.From the set of the sequels: @ZoeSaldana, Sam Worthington, Kate Winslet, and Cliff Curtis taking a break from underwater performance capture for a quick photo!
Fun fact: Much of the performance capture took place in this 900,000 gallon tank, built specifically for the sequels. pic.twitter.com/NSfqoZ6jXJ— Avatar (@officialavatar) May 13, 2020
Cameron’s groundbreaking 2009 movie (which took home Oscars for cinematography, visual effects and art direction) was the highest-grossing film ever made until Avengers: Endgame knocked it off the top spot just last year. The fantasy action flick followed Jake Sully (Worthington), a paraplegic Marine who travels to Pandora but ends up being torn between completing his mission and protecting the distant world, and the Na'vi who inhabit it including the lovely Neytiri (Saldana), that now feels like home to him.Plans to film three and then four more sequels were announced as early as 2010 but Cameron’s meticulous process has slowed production. The filmmaker decided to write and film all four followup films at the same time—which extends the wait for moviegoers but apparently cuts already astronomical production costs (to the tune of $1 billion) in a big way.As it stands now, the first sequel is set to hit theatres in December of 2021, with three more films coming in 2023, 2024, and 2027. Thanks to New Zealand’s quick and thorough response to the COVID-19 crisis, filming has been given the greenlight to resume sometime this summer.[video_embed id='5977776738001']RELATED: James Cameron has no plans to retire[/video_embed]From the set of the sequels: @JimCameron directing the actors before they dive underwater for performance capture.
Fun fact: That layer of white on the water's surface is comprised of floating balls that prevent lights from interfering with filming underwater. pic.twitter.com/dOBwS6qOXF— Avatar (@officialavatar) May 6, 2020