James Cameron is making 4 Avatar sequels

Director James Cameron has announced that it is entirely necessary to make four Avatar sequels, Variety reported Thursday, the first of which is set to hit theaters in December 2018 — nearly a decade after the release of the original record-grossing blockbuster. The other three films will follow in 2020, 2022, and 2023, Cameron told theater owners at CinemaCon.

"The next time I see you will be on Pandora," Cameron joked at his appearance, referencing the fictional planet that houses the blue Na'vi characters central to the story.

Cameron had originally said there would be three more "stand alone" films in the sci-fi saga, but determined that the story was expansive enough to require an additional film to be made.

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