James Cameron is looking to take Avatar fans even deeper into the world of Pandora, this time through animation.
In a recent interview with Empire magazine, the Oscar-winning filmmaker shared that he's been in discussions with Disney about developing an animated anthology series set in the Avatar universe.
While the project is still in early stages, Cameron has a clear vision in mind.
“I said, ‘Look, I want to do an animated anthology series that’s essentially in the world, but stories that you wouldn’t have expected from that world’,” he explained, hinting that the project could eventually include a full-length animated feature.
Whether it ends up on a streaming platform or in theaters, the idea is to enrich the Avatar narrative in fresh and unexpected ways.
Cameron compared his concept to The Animatrix, the 2003 animated series that expanded on The Matrix universe with side stories and deeper lore.
He described it as “a great example for how we can add texture and detail to the world of Avatar.”
What makes this new direction so exciting is the chance to explore untold corners of Pandora.
“Backstory on characters and tangential stuff that happened off-camera within the movies,” Cameron said. “Who first landed on Pandora? The first expedition. You could go anywhere you want…”
Though the anthology series hasn’t moved into production yet, Cameron said that they’re still in the phase of collecting ideas and recruiting talent.
“We haven’t done much with that yet. We’re still gathering our stories and that sort of thing, and I’ve got to find the boutique filmmakers, the animators, that want to do it.”
Meanwhile, the Avatar franchise continues to grow on the big screen.
The next installment, Avatar: Fire and Ash, is set to premiere in theaters on December 19. The film marks the third chapter in Cameron’s planned five-movie saga, produced by Disney and 20th Century Studios.
As the world of Avatar evolves, both longtime fans and new viewers can look forward to even more immersive storytelling, not just in theaters, but potentially on screens of every size.
