Since ‘Avatar’ came out in 2009, there has been much talk about it’s sequels. One minute, there’s going to be two sequels, but the next minute there’s three. This conversation has been going back and forth for years! But now, we have official word on the follow-ups to the highest grossing film of all time, along with an update on their production.

James Cameron and 20th Century Fox have announced that the Na’vi will be getting three sequels that will all shoot at the same time, similar to what Peter Jackson did when he made the three ‘Lord of the Rings’ films. But before they can get shot, they have to get written first and Cameron is calling in some big guns to pen these scripts. First, ‘War of the Worlds’ writer and ‘Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’ creator Josh Friedman has been attached to write one sequel. Then, the team of Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, who wrote ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’, will take on another. Finally, ‘Shaft’, ‘Armageddon’, and ‘Savages’ writer Shane Salerno will take on the remaining movie. Each writer is set to collaborate separately and then co-write with Cameron to complete the scripts before beginning production next year.

On the addition of these writers to the world of ‘Avatar’, the veteran filmmaker had this to say:

“Building upon the world we created with Avatar has been a rare and incredibly rewarding experience. In writing the new films, I’ve come to realize that Avatar’s world, story and characters have become even richer than I anticipated, and it became apparent that two films would not be enough to capture everything I wanted to put on screen. And to help me continue to expand this universe, I’m pleased to bring aboard Amanda, Rick, Shane and Josh — all writers I’ve long admired –­ to join me in completing the films screenplays.”

Currently, the plan is to release the first sequel in December 2016, followed by the second in December 2017, and the last premiering in December 2018. With a schedule like that, it looks like Cameron won’t be getting to his adaptation of ‘Battle Angel’ any time soon.

What do you think of Cameron and Fox upping the number of ‘Avatar’ sequels to three? Are you excited to see what these writers can do with Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Source: Deadline