Yahoo Movies Sam Worthington Reveals Most of 'Avatar 3' Has Been Filmed Already — And Part of 4!
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Avatar: The Way of Water has yet to open in theaters, but star Sam Worthington says filming for the next installment has practically wrapped.
On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, Worthington told Fallon that "about 80, 90 percent" of the third Avatar movie has already been filmed.
According to the Australian actor, part of the fourth film has been shot as well: "We did a few scenes because the kids were aging out."
"There's five in the saga if we're lucky enough to get it," the 46-year-old actor told the Tonight Show host.
Though three more Avatar films are already slated to release in 2024, 2026 and 2028, Worthington, like franchise writer-director James Cameron, said that the success of the long-awaited sequel will dictate how much of the Na'vi's future will make it to the screen.
"We're not arrogant enough to assume it's going to connect," the actor said of the soon-to-be-released Way of Water. "We really hope so because we love the movie and hope other people do too."
When asked what he thinks of the followup to the groundbreaking 2009 movie, the actor said that it doesn't just measure up to the original — "it blows it away."
"I get quite emotional talking about it," Worthington told Fallon.
"What Jim's done, he's made it about a family," the actor continued, referring to Cameron, the creative mind behind the iconic alien world. "And it's powerful."
RELATED: Everything to Know About 'Avatar: The Way of Water'
"Not only is it visually stunning and you're seeing a part of Pandora that you've never seen before, all under water, but it's about what you do to protect your family," Worthington said. "And I think after COVID, I think everybody needs that kind of message."
"It's about what you would do for those that you love," he added.
The long-awaited sequel will follow the original film's main characters, Jake Sully (Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), as they embark on a new adventure: parenthood. Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang will also reprise their roles in the film, alongside Avatar newcomers Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Michelle Yeoh, Edie Falco, Joel David Moore and CCH Pounder.
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Avatar: The Way of Water is in theaters Dec. 16.
