Proving once again that one of the dumbest things you can do in Hollywood is doubt James Cameron, the first reactions to Avatar: The Way of Water have been through the roof, with the filmmaker set to revolutionize the theatrical experience through another mesmerizing sci-fi spectacular… again.
The three-time Academy Award winner has already admitted that he needs the sequel to become one of the highest-grossing movies in history simply to turn a profit, so there’s still a chance that Avatar 3 could mark the end of the line for the franchise, should the sophomore outing to Pandora do the unthinkable and disappoint at the box office.
However, even though a select few only got to see The Way of Water for the first time last night, the focus has already shifted to another potential second chapter backed by the Titanic and Terminator architect, after producer Martin Landau confirmed to Deadline that he’s still not ready to give up on Alita: Battle Angel.
“There’s a little film called Alita: Battle Angel that we would love to circle back and do a sequel to, and been talking to Robert [Rodriguez] about that and hopefully that comes to fruition.”
Produced and co-written by Cameron (who’d been planning to direct it himself for over a decade), Alita barely made it past $400 million at the box office during its initial run, but it would be an understatement of colossal proportions to say that it’s only become more and more popular in the years since.
Petitions have been launched, campaigns mounted, and airplanes hired to fly banners, and it speaks volumes about Battle Angel‘s enduring popularity that it’s already threatening to overshadow Avatar 2‘s buzz.