Avatar 4

Avatar 4 is an upcoming American epic science fiction film co-written, co-edited, co-produced and directed by James Cameron. Distributed by 20th Century Studios, it will be the sequel to Avatar 3 (2025) and the fourth installment in the Avatar franchise. It will star Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña, among others from the original cast, reprising their roles. The screenplay is written by James Cameron and Josh Friedman. Cameron stated that Avatar: The Tulkun Rider is being considered as a possible title for the film.

Cameron, who had stated in 2006 that he would like to make sequels to Avatar (2009) if it was successful, announced the fourth and fifth films in late 2010. Producer Jon Landau revealed in February 2019 that a third of Avatar 4 had already been filmed.

The film's theatrical release has been subject to five delays, with the latest occurring on June 13, 2023; it is scheduled for release on December 21, 2029. A sequel, Avatar 5, is in development and is expected to be released on December 19, 2031.

Cast

 * Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, a former human who fell in love with Neytiri and befriended the Na'vi after becoming a part of the Avatar Program, eventually taking their side in their conflict with humans. He transferred his mind into his avatar permanently. After the second film, he and his family left the Omatikaya clan and joined the Metkayina clan.
 * Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri, Jake's wife who left the Omatikaya clan and joined the Metkayina clan.
 * Sigourney Weaver as Kiri, the daughter of Dr. Grace Augustine's Na’vi avatar who was adopted by Jake and Neytiri.
 * Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch, a human who led the forces of the RDA, the human organization colonizing Pandora, in their conflict with the Na'vi in 2154. Years later, the RDA placed his and other deceased soldiers' memories into Na'vi Avatars called recombinants.
 * Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge, the former corporate administrator for the RDA mining operation in the first film.
 * Cliff Curtis as Tonowari, the leader of the reef people clan of Metkayina.
 * CCH Pounder as Mo'at, the Omaticaya's spiritual leader and Neytiri's mother.
 * Jack Champion as Miles "Spider" Socorro, the teenaged son of Quaritch born in Hell's Gate who was rescued and adopted by Jake and Neytiri after they had previously killed his father, who "prefers his time in the Pandoran rainforest".
 * David Thewlis as Peylak, a Na'vi character who will be featured in Avatar 3 through 5
 * Oona Chaplin as Varang, an "ash people" Na'vi
 * Kate Winslet as Ronal, a free diver of the Metkayina and Tonowari's wife.
 * Britain Dalton as Lo'ak, Jake and Neytiri's second son and the narrator of the film.
 * Trinity Jo-Li Bliss as Tuktirey ("Tuk"), Jake and Neytiri's daughter and their youngest child.
 * Bailey Bass as Tsireya ("Reya"), a graceful and strong free diver of the Metkayina and Tonowari and Ronal's daughter. In the second film, Tsireya emerges as Lo'ak's love interest.
 * Filip Geljo as Ao'nung, a young male hunter and free diver of the Metkayina and Tonowari and Ronal's son.
 * Duane Evans, Jr. as Rotxo, a young male hunter and free diver of the Metkayina.
 * Joel David Moore as Dr. Norm Spellman, a former part of the Avatar Program who chose to side with the Na'vi in the first film.
 * Dileep Rao as Dr. Max Patel, a scientist who worked in the Avatar Program and came to support Jake's rebellion against the RDA.
 * Matt Gerald as Corporal Lyle Wainfleet, a mercenary who fought and died in the RDA's battle against the Na'vi in 2154. Years later, the RDA placed his memories into a Recombinant.
 * Edie Falco as General Frances Ardmore, the commander in charge of the RDA's interests.
 * Michelle Yeoh as Dr. Karina Mogue, a human scientist.
 * Brendan Cowell as Captain Mick Scoresby, the head of a private sector marine hunting vessel on the planet of Pandora.
 * Jemaine Clement as Dr. Ian Garvin, a marine biologist.

Development
On July 31, 2017, it was announced that the New Zealand-based visual effects studio Weta Digital had commenced work on the Avatar sequels. Cameron stated that Avatar: The Tulkun Rider is being considered as a possible title for the film. In January 2023, Cameron confirmed that, with Avatar: The Way of Water being profitable, Avatar 4 and 5 will get made.

Landau reported that the action of Avatar 4 will move from Pandora to Earth. Landau said that "There's over-population and a depletion of our natural resources that make life harder. But we don't want to paint a bleak picture for where our world is going. The films are also about the idea of that we can change course."

Champion said that the "story is pretty amazing and pretty dark".

Casting
In August 2017, Matt Gerald had officially signed on to portray his first film's role Corporal Lyle Wainfleet in all upcoming sequels. That same month, in an interview with Empire, Cameron said that Stephen Lang would not only be returning in all four sequels as Colonel Miles Quaritch, but that he would also be the main villain in all four films.

Filming
Filming on all four sequels was supposed to begin simultaneously on September 25, 2017, in Manhattan Beach, California, but Cameron said that the filming on 4 and 5 would begin after post-production wrapped on the first two sequels. However, producer Jon Landau said in February 2019 that some motion capture scenes had been shot for Avatar 4, at the same time as its two predecessors. Landau later declared that a third of Avatar 4 has already been filmed for "logistical reasons". Elaborating on shooting a portion of 4 during the production of 2 and 3, Cameron stated that "I had to shoot the kids out. They're allowed to age six years in the middle of the story on page 25 of movie '4.' So I needed everything before then, and then everything after, we'll do later." In January 2024, Cameron said that he will not start filming the remainder of Avatar 4 until Avatar 3 is released, which is scheduled for December 2025.

Music
In August 2021, Landau announced that Simon Franglen would compose the score for the Avatar sequels.

Release
Avatar 4 is scheduled to be released on December 21, 2029, by 20th Century Studios. Like its predecessors, the film was subject to multiple delays (this time it consisted of five delays) since the crew took more time on the writing, pre-production and visual effects process. In April 2017, a release date of December 20, 2024 was announced, with the recurring sequel releasing on December 19, 2025. Following the announcement of the three upcoming Star Wars films, in May 2019, the sequels' release dates were pushed back to two years, with Avatar 4, being scheduled to be released on December 19, 2025. The release date was again deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in August 2020, a new release of December 18, 2026 was announced. Another delay was announced on June 13, 2023, this time due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, pushing the film to December 21, 2029. Avatar 4 and its forthcoming sequels will be released in Dolby Vision.

Sequels
A fifth film has been announced and is scheduled for December 19, 2031. Cameron stated in an interview with ABC News Australia that he is uncertain whether he will direct the fifth film. According to Landau, part of Avatar 5 will take place on earth and "open people’s eyes, open Neytiri’s eyes, to what exists on Earth". Landau also said "Earth is not just represented by the RDA [Resources Development Administration]. Just like you’re defined by the choices you make in life, not all humans are bad. Not all Na’vi are good. And that’s the case here on Earth. And we want to expose Neytiri to that."

In 2022, Cameron revealed that he also has plans for a potential sixth and seventh film and would make them if there was demand. However, he also noted that he would be 89 years old by the time an Avatar 6 and Avatar 7 could be released, and he is "not going to be able to make Avatar movies indefinitely, the amount of energy required".