Avatar 2: James Cameron compares new sequels to The Godfather

The director plans to make all four Avatar sequels at once, in a move he boldly compared to Francis Ford Coppola's epic crime trilogy

Exactly how much ego is the director of the world's all-time highest grossing film allowed? That is the question currently being put to test, following the announcement James Cameron would be directing not two, but four sequels to 2009's Avatar.

And now, Cameron has revealed that all four Avatar films will be shot at once; like one giant Godzilla-franchise looming on the horizon to devour each and every one of its competitors. "It's not back-to-back", he told Famous Monsters Of Filmland. "It's really all one big production. It's more the way you would shoot a miniseries."

"Monday I might be doing a scene from movie four, and Tuesday I’m doing a scene from movie one. We’re working across, essentially, eight hours of story. It’s going to be a big challenge to keep it all fixed in our minds, exactly where we are, across that story arc at any given point."

"It’s going to be probably the most challenging thing I’ve ever done. I’m sure the actors will be challenged by that as well. It’s like 'no, no, no, no, this person hasn’t died yet, so you’re still in this phase of your life."

"It’s like doing all three Godfather films at the same time", he concluded; in a statement which compares a franchise about blue space cats to some of the most critically-acclaimed films in existence.

The director also revealed his release plans for the new sequels, specifically tailored to avoid competition with a certain other major franchise. "My original plan was to release them a year apart, but we’re opening that up," he stated. "If for no other reason than that I don’t want to land on the same date as one of the Star Wars sequels."

"That wouldn’t be fair to them. [Laughs] No, that’s just good business. I don’t want to go head-to-head with Star Wars. That would be stupid. And hopefully they won’t want to go head-to-head with us."

Avatar 2 will arrive in 2018, and Avatar 5 will be here in 2023; nevermind that the Earth will probably be consumed by fire at that point.