With Avatar 2 filming officially starting this week, we have several new updates! First up, we have a first look at the young Avatar 2 cast in three official photos, which you can check out in the gallery below! These youthful thesps are playing the Sully family and children from the Metkayina Na’vi clan who live near ocean reefs, led by Tonowari (Cliff Curtis). The only actor who will appear in live-action playing a non-CGI character is Jack Champion (in blue shirt) as Javier “Spider” Socorro, a human teen born at the Hell’s Gate military complex seen in the first film.
Here’s a full character breakdown:
The Sully Family
JAMIE FLATTERS: Neteyam (neh-tay’-ahm) Jake and Neytiri’s first born son.
BRITAIN DALTON: Lo’ak (loh’ ahk) Lo’ak is Jake and Neytiri’s second born.
TRINITY BLISS: Tuktirey: (took-tee’-ray) She goes mostly by “Tuk” (rhymes with “nuke”). She is youngest of the Sully family.
Of the Metkayina Clan
BAILEY BASS: Tsireya (see-ray’-ah) “Reya” She is a graceful and strong free-diver – the young Neytiri of the ocean.
FILIP GELJO: Aonung (aw-nung’) Young male hunter/free-diver son the Olo’eyktan of Metkayina Clan.
DUANE EVANS JR.: Rotxo (row’-txoh) Young male hunter/free-diver of the Metkayina.
Former Hell’s Gate Adolescent
JACK CHAMPION: Javier “Spider” Socorro – A human teenager, born at Hell’s Gate but prefers his time in the Pandoran rainforest more than the asphalt of Hell’s Gate.
“We never had this youthful element before, and that brings a different kind of energy to the film,” producer Jon Landau told Entertainment Weekly. “They represent the future generation of Pandora and play a very significant role — not just in this movie but throughout all the movies.”
Returning actor Stephen Lang, who plays arch villain Colonel Quaritch, has also become the first actor to Tweet from the set…
I waited. I wished. I whittled. The waiting is over. #AVATAR pic.twitter.com/ZmYJPxlXPD
— Stephen Lang (@IAmStephenLang) September 27, 2017
Finally, director James Cameron has also confirmed (via The Hollywood Reporter) shooting plans for the four films, which will have a combined budget reportedly in excess of $1 billion dollars, or between $250 and $300 million per film assuming Cameron doesn’t go wildly over budget… as he famously has on nearly every film he’s ever made. To compare, Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy ran up a bill in the neighborhood of $745 million, which is in the same ballpark the Avatar sequels are projected for.
“‘Avatar 2’ and ‘3’ will be captured together and then [go through postproduction] sequentially,” Cameron confirmed. “Then we go back and capture ‘4’ and ‘5.’ They’re all written and they’re all designed, so we literally hit the ground running the day after ‘Avatar 3’ comes out, starting capture on ‘4’ and ‘5’ and then post on those and release those. That’s the plan. So, it’s kind of a two-and-two structure.”
That lines up with 20th Century Fox and Lightstorm Entertainment‘s announced release dates for the four Avatar sequels. Avatar 2 will be coming to theaters on December 18, 2020, and will be followed by the third film on December 17, 2021. Then there will be a three-year break in releases, as the fourth film opens on December 20, 2024, and the fifth Avatar movie is scheduled for a December 19, 2025 release.
Released in 2009, the first Avatar film remains the highest-grossing film worldwide with over $2.7 billion in box office grosses. It was dethroned by Star Wars: The Force Awakens as the highest at the domestic box office, pushing past Avatar‘s $760 million with a total of $936 million.
Returning from the original film are Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Joel David Moore, Stephen Lang, Matt Gerald and Sigourney Weaver. Cliff Curtis and Oona Chaplin are also joining the sequels. Cameron recently explained that Stephen Lang’s Colonel Miles Quaritch is coming back for all four sequels and will be the main villain throughout the story.
The Avatar sequels will be produced by James Cameron and Jon Landau through their Lightstorm Entertainment. The James Cameron-directed sequels are written by Cameron along with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, Josh Friedman, and Shane Salerno.
Are you guys excited about the young Avatar 2 cast? Are you looking forward to seeing more of James Cameron’s franchise? Let us know in the comments!
