It was almost inevitable that this would happen, with the boat load of money that Avatar made (over 2.7 billion and climbing) if people didn’t see dollar signs in making a sequel they were probably considered to be really dumb.

I really feel like I’m in a minority in thinking that I really liked “Avatar”. I mean, judging by the amount of money I don’t think there is anyone in the universe that did not see Avatar, but at the same time, apparently not many of them really liked it. I didn’t have high expectations. I thought I’d get annoyed by the length of the movie, lack of story, or the overlly stimulating visuals of a completely CG world (oh and yes, Zoe Saldana as one of the Na’vi–but I think I like her better as a non alien, like it Star Trek); but I ended up loving the movie.

I may agree that it has a lot of similarities with the story of Pocahontas, but at the same time, in this day and age, how many stories can we honestly call truly original? The other day I was reading the September/October issue of Script Magazine and they had a great article (as they always do) entitled Script Secrets: Blockbuster Brilliance! by William Martell, where Martell explains why Avatar became the most popular film of all time. He goes on to say that he’s heard a lot of comparisons to “Dances with Wolves” and I can agree with that, but I also agree with how he denounces that and states that a better comparison would be to The Fast and the Furious. I don’t want to give everything from the article away, because you should actually go out and read it, but Martell completely makes sense with that statement. Which continues with my statement, “how many stories can we honestly call truly original?”

I mean, this year alone, if it isn’t a remake, or a reboot, or an adaption from a comic book, novel, ETC; what has been original. Truly never before seen? The only mainstream film that comes to mind is “Inception” which I have done as movie of the year.

Anyway, James Cameron has signed on to do two more Avatar sequels (because why just sign on to do just one when you can make a trilogy out of it!). I have faith in James Cameron, he’s like the king of great sequels. Well, OK, he’s done two great sequels, but they are usually the two that come up with when you think of a sequel that not only surpassed the original but was not a complete replica of the first; Aliens and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (I think the other one people think of would be The Godfather part II–but Cameron didn’t direct that one…)

So, here it is, from darkhorizons.com:

Fox Sets “Avatar” Sequels Dates

By Garth Franklin Wednesday October 27th 2010 08:51AM

In an official press release from the studio today, 20th Century Fox has announced that James Cameron has agreed to make his two-planned “Avatar” sequels as his next films.

Cameron will begin work on the scripts early next year with production aiming to commence later in 2011. The decision whether to shoot the films back-to-back will be made after he completes the scripts.

Despite that decision being forthcoming, Fox is already targeting December 2014 and December 2015 for the releases of the two films.

The announcement means he won’t be helming the 3D “Cleopatra” he had been looking into, but shouldn’t affect his work as producer on other projects like Guillermo del Toro’s planned “At the Mountains of Madness” adaptation.