Avatar 6 Without James Cameron Is A Bad Idea After These 2 Sci-Fi Franchise Failures

Summary

• James Cameron has ideas for a sixth Avatar installment but may not be personally involved, which could be a major mistake.
• Cameron’s past work on franchises like Terminator and Aliens suggests that without him, a Cameron-less Avatar 6 would struggle.
• Avatar is uniquely dependent on Cameron’s vision and leaving the franchise in a potential sixth installment without him would be a disaster.

James Cameron has revealed that he has “ideas” for a sixth installment in his Avatar series and that he may “be handing the baton on” by that point – yet an Avatar 6 without the veteran director would be a major mistake. In an interview with People, Cameron explained, “We’re fully written through movie five, and I’ve got ideas for six and seven,” before suggesting that he personally may not sustain that length of involvement. However, even with fully formed stories, an Avatar without Cameron would be bad news for the franchise thanks to the legacy of the director’s other projects.

After the global success of the first Avatar film in 2009, fans were forced to wait 13 years for the next sequel in Cameron’s epic sci-fi series. Much like the first movie, Avatar: The Way of Water was a box office sensation, making over $2.3 billion globally. Having broken box office records and built a beloved fictional world in his first two installments, it’s no surprise Cameron is thinking about the future – with plans for three further installments in 2025, 2029, and 2031. However, a Cameron-less Avatar 6 may be a bridge too far – as demonstrated by the disappointing failure of the director’s previous work.

James Cameron’s Other Sci-Fi Franchises Suggest Avatar 6 Shouldn’t Happen Without Him

Although Avatar represents James Cameron’s biggest box office legacy, it is arguably the director’s work in two other iconic sci-fi franchises that will be more fondly remembered at the end of his career. Long before transporting viewers to Pandora, Cameron redefined sci-fi action and horror with The Terminator and Aliens. Released in 1984 and 1986, the two movies boasted gripping storytelling and astounding special effects, becoming celebrated classics in their own right. Beyond this, however, Terminator and Aliens also prove what can happen to sci-fi franchises after Cameron’s departure.

Although he didn’t make the original Alien, Aliens took the sci-fi horror series in an exciting new direction. However, despite propelling the story forward, later installments were unable to take advantage, with increasingly disappointing returns in Alien 3, Resurrection, and the panned Alien Vs. Predator crossover movies. Likewise, Cameron followed The Terminator up with the acclaimed Terminator 2: Judgment Day, before leaving the series to flounder for over three decades. History suggests that, if he were to leave Avatar, viewers could expect a similarly squandered legacy.

Avatar Without James Cameron Is A Bad Idea Anyway

Even without the precedent set by Alien and Terminator‘s post-Cameron struggles, Avatar is perhaps uniquely dependent on the director’s vision to succeed. A personal project for the 69-year-old Canadian, Avatar has been the defining work of his last two decades. Not only has he invested heavily in the revolutionary filmmaking techniques that have made the projects possible, but he has also overseen the story and narrative direction from the get-go. Continuing the franchise without him in a prospective sixth installment – even with his ideas incorporated – would therefore be a disaster.

Unlike his other major sci-fi franchises, Avatar is entirely Cameron’s own work. Although the director was obviously a major creative influence for both Aliens and the first two Terminator movies, he was not the only source of inspiration. Aliens, for instance, had input from both David Giler and Walter Hill (though Cameron claimed sole credit for the screenplay) and was based on the original Ridley Scott movie, while The Terminator and T2 had co-writing credits from Gale Anne Hurd and William Wisher. Avatar, by contrast, represents Cameron’s undiluted vision – without him, the franchise would fall apart.

Wait… Avatar 6 Is A Bad Idea Anyway!

Cameron’s role as Avatar‘s figurehead means any project without his direct involvement would be a failure. Yet the truth of the franchise is that, even with Cameron at the helm, Avatar 6 would be a step too far because of the series’ natural narrative limitations. While the franchise’s first two installments have amazed viewers with their stunning visuals and world-building, critics have often highlighted the movies’ stories as a drawback. Amid the incredible CGI, character development and plot have sometimes taken a back seat.

Given this, suggesting that there is enough story for the franchise to sustain six installments may be unrealistic. Exactly what the future of the Avatar franchise looks like remains unclear ahead of Avatar 3. But unless the movies can exhibit more storytelling ambition and scope than has been evident in the first two entries, even a successful Avatar 4 and 5 – let alone 6 – seem difficult to achieve. Avatar has undoubtedly helped redefine modern cinema. Yet this doesn’t mean that its story warrants six separate installments, even with Cameron in charge.

Source: People