Here are the major obstacles Avengers: Endgame in 2019), and the image of anthropomorphic alien warriors with bright blue skin became instantly recognizable in all corners of the world.
Talk of a sequel was instantaneous, but production has been anything but. Keen to ensure Jake and Neytiri had a story worth telling, the script writing process took 4 years. Throughout this period, reports claimed that anywhere up to 4 separate Avatar sequels were in various stages of pre-production. Technology proved a stumbling block once again, with Cameron looking to push the envelope even further upon returning to the luscious alien world of Pandora. With all four mooted sequels written, filming finally began in 2017 and remains chugging along as we leave 2020 behind.
By the time Avatar 2 hits theaters, the world will be a very different place to the one that welcomed the Na'vi in 2009. A smartphone in every pocket, instant reaction via social media, the rise of Netflix, and the lingering aftereffects of an unprecedented global pandemic. Not to mention that some who watched the first Avatar as bright-eyed youngsters are now old enough to see Avatar 2 with kids of their own. This vastly changed market creates hurdles for Avatar 2, but despite these challenges, the sequel is still tipped for huge success.
Avatar Isn't A Popular Movie Anymore
When it comes to movies, opinions change more often than Star Wars prequel trilogy was virtually laughed out of cinemas, but Hayden Christensen's recent return as Darth Vader was met with nothing but excitement. And just as the world went crazy for Avatar in 2009, those plaudits have since turned to put-downs.
Avatar wasn't just a financial behemoth, it was a critical success story, with moviegoers, reviews and fellow directors queuing up to praise James Cameron's ambitious undertaking. The Na'vi were popular with kids and adults alike, and the mythology of Pandora gave Avatar fans a substantial world to invest in. But as the years ed, Avatar has come to be viewed in a more negative light, partly because the film could no longer hide its flaws behind stunning visuals and the wow-factor of 3D. Avatar's story follows an overused pattern, the ethical message is far from subtle, and the white savior trope has not aged well whatsoever. While the world loved Avatar a decade ago (whether they're willing to it it or not), Avatar 2 will release to a more skeptical audience who will be expecting those same flaws to be repeated.
Avatar's declining reputation combined with a lack of new material means the Na'vi are no longer prominent within the cultural consciousness of the western world. With the MCU pumping out up to 4 movies per year and the immediacy of streaming services, the already short attention span of the average moviegoer has been reduced further, meaning Avatar hasn't mattered in a very long time. That's a tougher challenge to overcome than beginning a new franchise entirely from scratch.
Avatar 2 Can't Rely On A Box Office Boost From 3D
Avatar and 3D technology go together like James Cameron and water, but the sequel can't count upon the same gimmick. While 3D movies had been attempted previously, early results were distinctly unimpressive, and weren't worth the shame of wearing a flimsy pair of red and blue lenses in public. However, the late 2000s promised a new dawn for 3D blockbusters, and Avatar stood at the vanguard of that movement - the movie to finally prove cinema needed that third dimension. To give Avatar its due, the experiment worked. The setting of Pandora looked wondrous with 3D glasses, and in that years that followed, every blockbuster worth its salt was released in the same 3D format.
The addition of 3D played a significant role in Avatar's success too. On one hand, James Cameron's latest effort came with an aura of curiosity. Fans who perhaps wouldn't have been interested under normal circumstances bought an Avatar ticket simply to experience the novelty of 3D technology. Those who did enjoy Avatar were then more inclined to indulge in multiple viewings, experiencing the film in both 2D and 3D formats. More importantly, however, those 3D tickets came at an inflated price, and this advantage boosted Avatar's box office significantly. According to Variety, 3D showings ed for over 80% of tickets, with extra dollars charged onto virtually every 3D sale.
Once again, Avatar 2 finds itself releasing to a very different audience. While Avatar's success did spearhead a period of prosperity for 3D releases, the trend has reversed spectacularly in recent years. There's no doubting the 3D medium enhanced Avatar, but few other movies were improved to the same degree. Directors also began to include ridiculous purpose-built shots of objects flying toward the screen, simply to justify the 3D transition. In 2020, the general movie-going audience are as impressed with 3D as Shania Twain is with rocket scientists, Brad Pitt and people with their own cars. 3D box office hit a record low in 2018, and represents an increasingly smaller percentage of a movie's overall takings, as audiences move back to the warm, familiar comfort of two dimensions.
Avatar 2 Needs More Than A New Technology Gimmick
Since 3D is old news, fans won't be flocking to see Avatar 2 in over-sized glasses like they did in 2009. People are also less likely to spend their hard earned cash on those -priced tickets, with the novelty very much worn thin over the past decade. Fortunately, Avatar has another trick up its sleeve - underwater filming. A quick glance at James Cameron's resume will reveal an all-encoming obsession with the ocean's blue depths, and with Avatar 2 set to explore new settlements of Pandora located under the sea, the director has developed cutting edge technology and filming methods to capture an actor's watery performance in previously unattainable levels of detail. Once again, Avatar 2 will break new ground for the cinema industry, and is guaranteed to blow away even the fiercest critic with its underwater visual feast.
But Avatar 2's new gimmick is no replacement for the 3D wave that carried the original film to box office glory. Firstly, a 3D movie is far easier to sell than "cutting edge underwater filming techniques." Where even the most casual fan could appreciate the cinematic glory of Avatar, relatively few people will care how Cameron filmed Kate Winslet swimming. More significantly, audiences are now wise to Avatar's recipe for success. Fans have spent the last 10 years discussing how Avatar's flaws were hidden behind its visual achievements, and are unlikely to fall for the same trick again if Avatar 2 delivers another stunning alien landscape, but skimps on depth of story and character.
Avatar 2 Will Still Be A Big Screen Success
It's a sign of how big the Aliens will still be present in Avatar 2.
Adding to the sequel's box office power is the might of Mickey Mouse. Between Avatar movies, the franchise has changed hands, moving from Fox to Disney, who have routinely churned out high-grossing hits year after year. The combination of James Cameron, Avatar and Disney is enough to overcome virtually any obstacle. For many, Avatar might've been quietly forgotten, but once the marketing machine stirs into action, it won't be long before Avatar fever strikes again, especially with a Christmas release planned. And reassuringly for Cameron, Avatar 2 could make half the box office of its predecessor and still be considered a financial success.
The sight of a blue alien in a loincloth might provoke a jaded response in 2020, but that doesn't mean people don't want to witness how the story continues. Even the most ardent Avatar critic would it that Pandora was brimming with story potential, and had Avatar 2 released in 2014 as initially suspected, the original film's negative reappraisal could've been averted. Instead, James Cameron has spent over 10 years crafting a worthy successor. Assuming he hasn't just been splashing around in a pool the entire time, there's surely something in Avatar 2 to justify the long wait.
