Avatar 2 release date delayed until 2022 as Covid-19 halts production of James Cameron's sequel

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Jochan Embley24 July 2020

The release of Avatar 2 has been pushed back by another year as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc with the film’s production.

A long-awaited follow-up to director James Cameron’s groundbreaking animation from 2009, the Avatar sequel was set to be released in December 2021.

That date has now been delayed until December 16 2022, a full eight years after the film was originally hoped to hit cinemas.

In a statement posted to Instagram, Cameron confirmed that the outbreak had already halted live-action filming in New Zealand earlier this year, and that now the pandemic had stopped his team from carrying out “virtual production work” in Los Angeles. “That work is just as critical to the films as the live action work," he said.

Cameron added: “There is no one more disappointed about this delay than me. But I am buoyed by the incredible performances of our cast and the extraordinary work that Weta Digital is doing bringing the world of Pandora and the characters of the film to life.”

The 65-year-old director went on to thank Disney Studios for its support, and praised fans for their patience, adding: “I promise that what we bring to cinemas will deliver.”

Avatar 2 is the latest big-budget film to be pushed back in light of the pandemic. Christopher Nolan’s Tenet has been delayed a number of times, with other films such as Mulan and The French Dispatch suffering similar ordeals.

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