Avatar sequels: Director James Cameron teases ‘amazing’ visual effects as filming resumes in New Zealand

Cameron and the cast were given special permission to continue shooting

James Cameron has admitted to being “amazed” by the visuals of the Avatar sequels.

Filming on the four sequels to the 2009 sci-fi film recently resumed in New Zealand, with Cameron speaking to the Toronto Sun about the technology being used on set.

“I deal with images in that world every single day and there are some days when I look at those images and say, ‘This is really amazing,’” he said.

“I’m not patting myself on the back with the comment. It’s a distillation of some of the best designers in the world and a great cast. But if you’ve got the script right and the design right and you have a great cast, then it’s just an iterative process to get the whole thing shot and assembled.”

Cameron previously revealed the films will feature revolutionary advancements in visual effects, including underwater motion-capture technology, which he claims has “never been done before”.

In 2018, the director stated that this was the reason the new films had taken so long to begin shooting, with Avatar 2 due for release 12 years after the first film made its debut in 2009.

Filming on the sequels resumed in June after Cameron and the franchise’s cast, including Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver and Kate Winslet, were given special permission to return to New Zealand.

Production had previously come to a halt after the country closed its borders due to the coronavirus pandemic.