‘Avatar 2’ will stick with its release date later this year, 20th Century Studios boss confirms

It’s now been over a decade since Avatar blew moviegoers away, but rest assured, the long-delayed sequel is still arriving later this year.

Talks of cinematically continuing the saga have stretched all the way back to 2010 by director James Cameron, and have since experienced a long line of delays. That storied history, along with the fact that 20th Century Fox was acquired by Disney in 2019 — and renamed 20th Century Studios — may have made some casual fans of the franchise wonder if the sequels will continue getting kicked down the road.

But don’t worry, fans of planet Pandora, because according to 20th Century Studios President Steve Asbell, Avatar 2 will indeed still release on Dec. 16 of this year.

When asked point-blank by The Hollywood Reporter whether he expects the film to stick to the 2022 release date, Asbell said without hesitation, “Yes. It will.”

Asbell went on to say he expects the film will blow audiences away.

“You’re not ready for what Jim is doing,” he added.

When asked how the studio plans to stir enough audience interest to justify the sequels’ huge budget, Asbell said he isn’t too concerned about being able to convince people to come back to the franchise given the enormous marketing apparatus at parenting company Disney.

“They will do an incredible job reigniting that passion for the original film. This is not just a sequel, it’s a saga. And it’s a family saga. It will be compelling on its own, but it will also be extremely compelling to return to those characters and to see how they’ve evolved,” he said.

Avatar garnered nine Academy Award nominations after its release, including for Best Picture. It ended up winning three Oscars, for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects.

A total of four sequels are planned for the franchise, the first of which is Avatar 2, slated to hit theaters on Dec. 16.