What Made James Cameron Want To Return For An Avatar Sequel

Once "Avatar: The Way of Water" finally makes its way (of water) to theaters in just a few short weeks, director James Cameron will have spent a minimum of nearly two whole decades planning and developing the first two movies in this epic saga — and counting. With another couple of sequels already far along in various stages of production and tentative plans for the series to stretch to six or even seven total movies, it's clear that the visionary talent has no intention of stopping anytime soon. While the rest of us can hardly even muster up the energy to get out of bed every morning for our much more mundane day jobs, the 68-year-old filmmaker is going strong and embarking on his familiar quest to break box office records with movies that the entire world shows up for.

Cameron has previously touched on his motivation for coming back for more and more "Avatar" sequels, but it remains a treat to hear the "Aliens," "Terminator," and "Titanic" director turn his gaze inwards and reflect on just why he's so committed to dedicating so much of his life to this one, decades-spanning story.

In a virtual press conference attended by /Film's Jacob Hall ahead of the release of "The Way of Water," Cameron once again spoke about his "incentive" to come back to the scene of the crime — the "crime" being the largest box office haul of all-time, naturally — and attempt to pull off that once-in-a-lifetime magic yet again. Surprisingly, he pushed back against the conventional wisdom that a sequel was a surefire guarantee after how well the original performed (even as recently as last year, mind you) and gave credit exactly where its due: to the cast.

Upon delivering a movie for the record books (and not even for the first time, either!), most directors would probably have taken their cut from "Avatar," thanked the film gods, and run. After all, how could you ever even imagine topping that? James Cameron could've sailed off into the sunset, taken a well-earned retirement, and spent the rest of his days taking submarine trips to the actual wreckage of the Titanic or whatever else bored rich people do. Basically, anything to avoid the grueling and, when Cameron is involved, oftentimes dangerous demands of making a feature film.

Well, the director had other ideas. Speaking at the press conference, Cameron expanded on what brought him back to the world of Pandora — and, intriguingly, why returning for a sequel (let alone several) was far from a certainty:

"Well, that's an interesting question because it seems obvious to everyone, 'Oh you just made a bunch of money, do a sequel.' Well, Steven Spielberg didn't do a sequel to 'E.T.,' the highest grossing film in its time. It's not a no-brainer. Do you want to call down a lightning strike again in the same spot? You know, it's a lot to live up to."

As is usually the case, the man makes a valid point! While Cameron certainly doesn't lack for experience in making sequels, whether to his own original work or jumping off what others had built before him, one can understand any reluctance on his part to revisit "Avatar." After all, nothing short of making history once again will justify the enormous costs poured into "The Way of Water" and beyond.

Move over, "Fast & Furious," because "Avatar" is coming for the title of the currently ongoing big-screen saga that's focused on family. While that definitely is reflected through the plot and characters of the sequel, based on what we know to this point, it was also the case behind-the-scenes, as well. A blockbuster like "Avatar" requires a small army of artists performing tireless, backbreaking work in order to pull off all the technical feats required by James Cameron, but at its core? The filmmaker found himself drawn back to this sci-fi/fantasy thanks to the people he chose to surround himself with — namely, the cast and crew.

Elsewhere during the press conference, Cameron went on to credit his new and returning actors, as well as everyone who played a role in bringing Pandora to life, for making his return to "Avatar" into a much easier decision:

But we have this amazing cast ... that returned and we figured out a way to bring [Sigourney Weaver] back, as well, even though her character in the first film dies, obviously. And we also have this amazing family of artists and troupe players, all the other actors ... So it's a small group and we kind of really love each other and enjoyed the process. And Kate [Winslet] got to join that and feel that vibe, as well. And that was a big incentive for me to come back and do this all again."

Given Cameron's fiery reputation over the years, it's honestly nice to hear him speak so highly of his experience working with many of the same performers as in 2009's "Avatar." We'll see if "Avatar: The Way of Water" can make lightning strike twice when it comes to theaters on December 16, 2022.