‘Avatar’ crew fly to New Zealand to restart the movie sequels amid pandemic

Gulf Today Report

Filmmaker James Cameron, along with over 50 crew members, has reached New Zealand to resume the shooting of the much-awaited "Avatar" sequels.

Film and TV production came to a halt around the globe in mid-March but is slowly returning in some countries including New Zealand, where the “Avatar” sequel is being filmed.

The unit reached Wellington, New Zealand, on Sunday for preparation in order to resume filming of the film series. The 54-member unit arrived by a chartered plane.

A bust in 3D by Legacy Effect of Zoe Saldana as Neytiri displayed in an exhibition in Paris.

However, filming will not restart immediately because the team has to self-isolate first.

"I want to get back to work on 'Avatar', which right now we're not allowed to do under state emergency laws or rules. So it's all on hold right now," Cameron said.

Producer Jon Landau took to Instagram to share that the crew would self-isolate as per guidelines laid by the New Zealand government.

"Made it to New Zealand. Our 14-day government supervised self-isolation now begins. #avatarsequels #jamescameron #newzealand #airnewzealand #selfisolation," Landau posted.

Work on the "Avatar" sequels came to a halt in March with lockdown orders by the New Zealand government due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Released in 2009, “Avatar” had been the highest-grossing movie of all time until July 2019 when it was overtaken by superhero flick “Avengers: Endgame.”

The borders of New Zealand are still officially closed and "Cameron, Landau and the foreign crew elements used a border exemption clause for foreigners considered of significant economic value".

The government of New Zealand has come up with a detailed set of guidelines for how productions should operate amid the pandemic. When "Avatar" filming restarts, it will be the first foreign movie to use New Zealand's production protocol.

Back on May 22, Landau had shared that the staff will be heading back to New Zealand.

"Our 'Avatar' sets are ready -- and we couldn't be more excited to be headed back to New Zealand next week," Landau wrote while sharing a photograph of two water vessels used in the films.

Earlier in an interview with Empire for the new Celebration Of Cinema issue, Cameron shared that he is confident that his much-awaited "Avatar 2" will release as planned.

"Avatar 2" is currently slated for release on December 17, 2021.