Avatar 2 and all of its sequels have been delayed ... again

It’s been almost eight years since Avatar was released, and those who have been anxiously waiting for the next installment will have to wait a little bit longer.

Director James Cameron has confirmed that Avatar 2 won’t be released in 2018 as originally expected. Avatar 3, 4 and 5 have also been pushed back, meaning the final film in the franchise won’t be released by 2022 as previously scheduled. Cameron told the Toronto Star a 2018 release date definitely wasn’t going to happen and the studio didn’t have a concrete window for the sequel.

“What people have to understand is that this is a cadence of releases,” Cameron said. “So we’re not making Avatar 2. We’re making Avatar 2, 3, 4 and 5. It’s an epic undertaking. It’s not unlike building the Three Gorges Dam [laughs]. So I know where I’m going to be for the next eight years of my life. It’s not an unreasonable time frame if you think about it.”

Cameron added that it took four-and-a-half years to make the first Avatar, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that it’s taking this long to make four more films. The director said he and his crew have pretty much finished their designs for the sets and creatures, but there are logistical and technical elements that need to be taken into account.

Avatar 2 was delayed in 2012 ... and then again in 2015 and then once more last January. The film was supposed to be released around Christmas 2017, but was pushed back to 2018. Cameron has said before he didn’t want to rush production on the movies, allowing him more time to explore and use the best film technology available to him.

Until then, Avatar fans looking for something to bide their time can check out Pandora: The World of Avatar at Disney World. Disney announced last month it was opening the new area of its theme park in Florida on May 27, 2017.