James Cameron talks pressure of matching 'Avatar' success with sequels

By Megan Armstrong | Last updated 4/22/21

As of mid-March, per Deadline, Avatar regained its position as the highest-grossing film of all time globally after a China reissue, and James Cameron isn't immune to the bar his 2009 sci-fi phenomenon set.

During last night's episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon , Cameron was asked how he plans to top the first with the second and third Avatar installments.

"I cry," the three-time Oscar winner said, jokingly. "I sit at my desk, and I cry all day long because there's no way. It's just too much pressure, dude. Well, look, we just try to be kinda true to what people loved about the first film and take it into whole new areas. Like, a lot of our scenes are in the ocean. So I'm aligning things that I love, like making Avatar and going into the ocean."

Cameron directed and wrote Avatar, which claimed three Oscars out of nine nominations at the 82nd Academy Awards. The blockbuster's cast included Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez and Giovanni Ribisi.

Back in late September, Cameron revealed that Avatar 2 was completed and Avatar 3 was "95 percent" finished (h/t Variety).

Disney had announced last summer that Avatar 2 wouldn't arrive until December 2022 as a result of widespread delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The third (December 2024), fourth (December 2026) and fifth (December 2028) films in the franchise were also pushed.

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