Cameron, though, seems to have carte blanche over these sequels thanks to the record-shattering success of the first “Avatar” and the subsequent 1.9 billion dollar and counting haul that “Avatar: The Way of Water” has brought in. Chaplin is an inspired casting choice as she’s been underutilized in other roles, and it’ll be exciting to see her play a potentially villainous leader. Aside from “Game of Thrones,” she’s appeared in “Black Mirror,” “Taboo,” “Sherlock,” and more.
Producer Jon Landau commented on the characterization of the Ash people, hinting to Empire that the story is likely more complicated than an oversimplified good versus evil plot. “There are good humans, and there are bad humans — the same thing on the Navi side — but oftentimes, people don’t see themselves as bad,” Landau said. “What is the root cause of how they evolve into what we perceive as bad? Maybe there are other factors that we’re not aware of.”
Assuming Landau has been directly involved in the production of the movie that still seems to be called “Avatar: The Seed Bearer,” I’d guess that “maybe” is probably a “definitely,” and we’ll find out exactly what led the Ash people to their fiery current state in the upcoming film. “Everything Everywhere All At Once” star and award season darling Michelle Yeoh is also reportedly set to appear in the third film in the franchise, as is “The Sandman” and “Harry Potter” actor David Thewlis.
“Avatar: The Way of Water” is still in theaters, and “Avatar: The Seed Bearer” is already set for release on December 20, 2024.