Zoe Saldaña Reacts To ‘Avatar 5’ Delayed Until 2031 – Variety

© 20thCentFox / Courtesy Everett Collection

When James Cameron’s fifth “Avatar” movie opens in theaters in 2031, Zoe Saldana will end a 26-year journey playing a Na’vi warrior and her devoted mother, Neytiri. How’s that for the character’s longevity? Disney announced on June 13 that Cameron’s next three “Avatar” sequels were pushed back on the release calendar yet again, expanding the franchise into 2031.

“Great! I’ll be 53 when the last ‘Avatar’ comes out,” Saldaña humorously posted to her Instagram along with a shocked face emoji. “I was 27 when I shot my first avatar.”

Saldaña star Sam Worthington, who plays Jake Sully in the franchise, will be 55 when the latest “Avatar” movie hits theaters. Cameron will be 77 years old.

The second “Avatar” movie, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” opened in theaters last December, 13 years after the original film broke box office records by becoming the highest-grossing film of all time with $2.9 billion (not adjusted for inflation). ). While some doubted that “The Way of Water” would be a hit, Cameron silenced the naysayers as the sequel racked up $2.3 billion in worldwide ticket sales becoming the third-highest in film history.

Disney had originally planned to release Cameron’s additional “Avatar” sequels two years apart, with the third film arriving in 2024. But now “Avatar 3” has shifted to December 19, 2025; “Avatar 4” to December 21, 2029; and “Avatar 5” to December 19, 2031. Based on this timeline, the final “Avatar” movie takes place 22 years after the original 2009 movie.

Cameron teased that “Avatar 3” will introduce a more hostile breed of Na’vi. Franchise producer Jon Landau said Empire Magazine Earlier this year, the group was the Ash People, described by the publication as an “aggressive volcanic race” of Na’vi whose leader is the Varang, played by “Game of Thrones” alum and Charlie Chaplin’s granddaughter Una Chaplin.

“There are good people and there are bad people,” Landau said. “It’s the same on the part of the Na’vi. A lot of times, people don’t see themselves as bad. What’s the root cause of how it can develop into what we consider bad? Maybe there are other factors that we’re not aware of.”

Landau Empire magazine interview He also revealed that there will be a “big jump” for “Avatar 4,” which will then lead to “Avatar 5” and its partial setting on Earth. The producer previously confirmed that “Avatar 5” will be visiting Earth in an interview with gizmodoSaying, “We go to it to open the eyes of the people, to open the eyes of the nytiri, to what is on earth.”

While fans wait for “Avatar 3” in 2025, they can stream “Avatar” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” on Disney+.