From Fox's press release...  

** JAMES CAMERON’S NEXT FILMS ARE**

** AVATAR 2 & 3**

** Oscar®-winning Filmmaker to Follow his History-Making and Revolutionary Motion Picture Event with Two Films that Continue the Mythology of the World He Created**

Oscar®-winning Filmmaker to Follow his History-Making  and Revolutionary Motion Picture Event with Two Films that Continue the Mythology of the World He Created

LOS ANGELES (October 27, 2010) __ Moving forward with the most anticipated films of the next decade, Fox Filmed Entertainment Chairmen Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman announced today that Academy Award®-winning filmmaker James Cameron has agreed to make AVATAR 2 and 3 as his next films.

            Cameron, who had always viewed AVATAR as the creation of a new world and mythology, will begin work on the scripts early next year with an eye towards commencing production later in 2011. Cameron will decide if he will shoot the films back-to-back after he completes the scripts, but the release of the first, as yet untitled sequel, is targeted for December 2014, with the third film contemplated for a December 2015 release.

AVATAR 2 & 3 will be produced by Cameron and Jon Landau for Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment. 

            “AVATAR is not only the highest grossing movie of all time, it is a created universe based on the singular imagination and daring of James Cameron, who also raised the consciousness of people worldwide to some of the greatest issues facing our planet,” said Rothman and Gianopulos.  “We had no higher priority, and can feel no greater joy, than enabling Jim to continue and expand his vision of the world of AVATAR.  This is a great day in the history of our company, and we thank Jim, Jon Landau, Rae Sanchini and all of their team and all of our Fox colleagues throughout the world, who have made this possible.”

Commented Cameron: "It is a rare and remarkable opportunity when a filmmaker gets to build a fantasy world, and watch it grow, with the resources and partnership of a global media company.  AVATAR was conceived as an epic work of fantasy – a world that audiences could visit, across all media platforms, and this moment marks the launch of the next phase of that world.  With two new films on the drawing boards, my company and I are embarking on an epic journey with our partners at Twentieth Century Fox.  Our goal is to meet and exceed the global audience's expectations for the richness of AVATAR’s visual world and the power of the storytelling.  In the second and third films, which will be self contained stories that also fulfill a greater story arc, we will not back off the throttle of AVATAR’s visual and emotional horsepower, and will continue to explore its themes and characters, which touched the hearts of audiences in all cultures around the world.  I'm looking forward to returning to Pandora, a world where our imaginations can run wild."   

“It is very exciting to be teaming again with our partners at Fox to give audiences the opportunity to return to Pandora,” said producer Jon Landau. “With the first movie, Jim only scratched the surface of the stories he wants to tell and the creatures and world he wants to create. Now we will continue his vision.”

AVATAR is the highest grossing film of all time, taking in nearly $2.8 billion in worldwide box office.  It is also the top-selling Blu-ray disc of all time.  AVATAR won Golden Globe® awards for Best Motion Picture and Best Director; and was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and won Oscars for art direction, visual effects and cinematography.

In AVATAR, Cameron takes audiences to a spectacular world beyond imagination and limitations, where a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption and discovery as he leads a heroic battle to save a civilization.

AVATAR was written by Cameron from an idea he nurtured for over a decade, while working on the technology necessary to realize its wholly imagined world.  Working with Joe Letteri and his team at Peter Jackson’s WETA Digital, Cameron created a fully immersive 3D cinematic experience of a new kind, where revolutionary technology that was invented to make the film disappeared into the emotion of the characters and the epic nature of the story.

AVATAR 2 & 3 will mark Cameron’s latest collaborations with Twentieth Century Fox, a relationship that spans 25 years and marks one of the most successful filmmaker-studio alliances in motion picture history. Cameron and Fox first joined forces in 1985 for Aliens, which became a sci-fi classic. Next came The Abyss, which revolutionized visual effects technology; and True Lies, a blockbuster starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.  In 1996, Fox greenlighted Cameron’s Titanic, which became the most successful film in history, and won a record-breaking eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Lightstorm partner Rae Sanchini negotiated the deal on Lightstorm’s behalf.

** About Fox Filmed Entertainment**

One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Fox Filmed Entertainment produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world.  These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of FFE:  Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Animation and Fox International Productions.

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pardon the font size..i cldn't get it to change to 12 here.. 

Quote - pardon the font size..i cldn't get it to change to 12 here.. 

All fixed Rosie

Gone with the Wind is still better.

2014 and 2015..!   long wait....  but I think it will be worth it...  new technologies should make these two a marvel to see...  

I already saw the news... but thanks again for posting...

Tom

Is it James Cameron that's doing it? I couldn't tell from the article?...;)

Yeah, I'll be watching...whenever...thx for the tip.

Sure sounds like James Cameron is involved judging by Rosie's post. I look forward to it. Avatar was an amazing experience. Totally immersive. Amazing how fast technology is changing, especially CGI! Hey, we finally have a new version of Bryce. It's not perfect, but they're actually still working on it. Life is good.

they better have some reaaally good ideas... its risky to make a follow-up to a movie like avatar. still, i'll be curious to see what they come up with :) i think it was a smart move to focus on individual stories though, probably the best strategy to keep things interesting.

Movies are already being shot at 2K and above, so higher than blu-ray resolutions.  By the time Avatar 2 and 3 come out, I can imagine it would be shown at 2K or more.

Cameron has talked about (maybe) taking parts of A2 & A3 to the water. On the water, under the water? Don' t know, but he loves taking it to the ocean!

Oh yeah, A2 & A3 will be shown in some theatres projected in 2K and I wouldn't doubt also be shown in 4K. As of right now, the RED cameras can film in 4.5K

One of Camerons ugrades to A2 & A3 will be having the movies filmed and then projected at 60fps, instead of the normal 24 or even 30. From what I have heard, you can see the (superior) difference.

Even though he is just now writing it, don't think there aren't artists starting the concepts right now.  ;o)

60fps...  wow.. found this in wiki

   resolution                                                                        (variable framerate)

4.5k WS (4,480×1,920) 1–30 (variable)

4k 16:9 (4,096×2,304), 4K 2:1 (4,096×2,048), 4K HD (3,840×2,160), 4K ANA (2,816×2,304) 1–30 (variable)

3k 16:9 (3,072×1,728), 3K 2:1 (3,072×1,536), 3K ANA (2,112×1,728) 1–60 (variable)

2k 16:9 (2,048×1,152), 2K 2:1 (2,048×1,024), 2K ANA (1,408×1,152) 1–120 (variable)

I listen to a lot tech podcats and in one particular episode of a podcast they said, soon there will be this camera cheaper than anything on the market and its going to film in things like 2k, 4K even 9K.

There was no name for it at the time and voila it actually became to be and its the RED.

The big deal was also the video processing chip and how it brought the cost down etc..

The head chip behind the lens is a big 35mm... 

LINK

sure wish I had a chance to audition for a small part.  : (