I fight a strange battle between being fascinated by Zoe Saldana and wanting her to take a nice, long vacation. She’s a little bit like Gwyneth Paltrow in that she drives me nuts with all her snobbery. Zoe is also completely obsessed with jar opening. Like, the jars are a huge deal to her. I opened a jar last night and thought of her. True story!
Zoe has been on a tear lately with signing onto bad remakes and telling everyone she doesn’t care what they think. Of course she cares. Everyone does. Anyway, she got a huge break a few years ago from James Cameron and his Avatar blockbuster to end all blockbusters. That opened the door for the Star Trek movies too. Yet Zoe has no problem talking about how problematic blockbusters are because they don’t tell “great” stories like her indie flicks (that no one watches). Zoe is an artist, don’t you know? Well this artist signed on for three more Avatar movies:
Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana have finalized deals to reprise their characters for the next three Avatar movies.
The trio of movies are being made back-to-back-to-back by James Cameron, who last August enlisted Josh Friedman, duo Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, and Shane Salerno to help him work on the screenplays.
The first actor who signed on for all three new movies was Stephen Lang, who played mad Marine Colonel Quaritch in the 2009 film. His character dies in the first film, so it will be interesting to see how Cameron resurrects him.
Other plot details are being kept locked on Pandora, although THR has learned that Jake Sully and Neytiri, the characters played by Worthington and Saldana, respectively, have kids.
Said Cameron: “Jake Sully is a rare combination of passion, strength, street smarts and soul, which requires a lot from an actor. Sam brought to the role a combination of sensitivity, vulnerability and strength. Zoe captured every aspect of the character I envisioned, bringing to Neytiri a mix of delicacy, fierceness and incredible physicality. I am beyond pleased they’ll be returning with us to Pandora.”
The first sequel will hit theaters in December 2016, with the second to follow in December 2017 and the third a year later.
[From Hollywood Reporter]
Soooooo. Zoe will at least be on the radar until 2018 with these movies. I never watched Avatar in the theater. Am I the only person who will admit that? It’s true. I waited for DVD, and I wasn’t terribly impressed with Zoe’s efforts. So much of the movie was CGI magic. I remember watching some behind-the-scenes footage and thinking, “Yeah. Her expressions were definitely enhanced.” I mean, it’s cool that Zoe is going to make some bank with these movies. I just can’t wait to see Miss Indie Flick spins this one.
Photos courtesy of WENN
3 Avatar sequels? Is that really necessary lol? It seems to me like studios are only interested in squeezing every last penny/cent they can from these blockbusters. For instance, Snow White and the huntsman 2 is allegedly coming out next year. It was a modest success at best and the story had a pretty solid ending. Studios are moving away from quality if I’m being truly honest.
SWATH was so boring—Kristen’s vacant expressions didn’t help,(seriously, I was counting how many times she rolled her eyes and bit her lip while running) but in the end, that movie was boring–Charlize had the most interesting scenes. Visually, it was really good though.
My god, SWATH was the worst. Chris Hemsworth played the huntsman same as Thor and KStew did Bella Swan. The whole movie was Thor and Bella and I was so mad.
Know what other giant piece of poo is getting a sequel? Hansel and Gretel. What next, the terrible Jack and the Beanstalk movie with Nick Hoult? I wouldn’t be surprised.
Avatar was better than those movies but I still couldn’t get through it without falling asleep. Three sequels? WTF?
@Virgilia I agree. Charlize carried that movie on her shoulders, so much more compelling and way more convincing than the other two as an actress.
@NerdAlert Lol you’re so right it was definitely Thor and Bella, and really Hansel and Gretel? Whose bright idea was that?
Hansel and Gretel–the one with Renner?
I have a secret–I actually kinda like that movie. I spent the entire movie going ‘they don’t curse like that back then’, and so on—but it’s one of those dumb movies that I would watch again on a lazy Friday night. One of my favorite romcoms is Maid in Manhattan–Ralph and Natasha made that movie! I loved Amy Sedaris in it too.
Well Virgilia, I just read that Thor and Bella Swan 2 is under contract 😉 I have no idea whose idea it was Dani2, but the budget will be half of the first. I read it on flipboard, I think.
I don’t know, I kind of think making these classic fairy tales in live action film form is an interesting idea. I don’t think young kids know these stories any more, sadly because parents aren’t reading to their kids as much.
That being said, these movies still need to be GOOD, and from what I’ve seen so far, they just aren’t well done.
WHYYYYYY?!
Why? That’s easy. $2.7 billion! It’s the biggest movie of all time and if we don’t include the Titanic re-release it has a lead of over a BILLION dollars. Remember all the Avengers hype? It didn’t even come close to starting to threaten Avatar’s numbers. I don’t get it or like it much either, but obviously someone did!
Three Avatar sequels and a small, independent art film called Star Trek 3. OK dear.
And Pirates of the Caribbean.
I’ve never even watched Avatar at allll. I probably never will.
So, she won’t be getting a cent from me.
yay, I’m not the only one!
We’re a rare breed, blue marie.
When it came out Avatar (in cinematic 3D) was a beautiful, jaw-dropping visual experience, like the first time you saw “bullet time” in The Matrix, but otherwise it’s badly scripted, clichéd and, for the most part, badly acted.
Now lots of films are using the technology I can’t imagine what special something the sequels will offer.
I can see that. I thought everything looked nice in promos and stuff. But really, at the end of the day it’s Pocahontas with blue things that link tails for sexy time.
I didn’t watch Avatar in the theater, either, and I haven’t seen it in its entirety outside of a theater (I’ve tried to watch it on television twice, and ended up dozing off both times).
What spin is necessary? There’s work you feel good about and there’s work you’d be a fool to turn down (good for future business, pays the bills), and they’re not always the same thing. It doesn’t seem more complicated than that.
I have no problem with actors taking that attitude, but if that’s the case, I think they should avoid being condescending about their more pragmatic roles. If it’s good enough work for you to do, it’s good enough work to promote graciously.
I still haven’t seen Avatar.. I can’t commit to movies that are that long, plus I’m not a huge fan of Cameron (only saw Titanic once, and it was enough) Actors/actresses can spout all the bs they want but…money talks, so she should probably STFU now.
And I find it funny that she’s a film snob considering she made Center Stage, really? I liked it but there was nothing Earth shattering about it..
NO, NO, NO! I am one of the very few people who couldn’t stand Avatar and I can’t believe they’re making three sequels! The movie came out 4 years ago already, what’s even the point?? I saw it in theater, I wasn’t impressed by the plot and the trailer, however, I decided to go and watch it because it was supposed to be visually spectacular.. well, after the first hour I had to force myself to keep my eyelids open!
It was basically Pocahuntas in 3D.
She probably doesn’t have a choice – most actors’ contracts these days include a clause where the studio can compel you to appear in sequels if they decide to make them.
Of course, it’s bad PR to state that, so they say Zoe has “signed on” for more sequels after Avatar and Star Trek were successes.
And yes, H-wood is all about the easy pickings – why risk your money on a story that no one knows (and therefore requires all the more marketing money) when you can be relatively assured to make money off sequels, remakes and adaptations of old properties (see: The Smurfs 1 and 2, and the upcoming Mr. Peabody).
They may have had to renegotiate when it went from two sequels to three. I think a three-picture deal is pretty standard when signing onto sci-if/fantasy deals but only Marvel has the forethought (and power) to require more.
Renner has all but thrown a tantrum over the studio exercising his sequel clause for Hansel & Gretel. It did decent business worldwide so the numbers say, sequel, and he is locked into a contract he signed years ago. (Jack the Giant Slayer bombed everywhere so that franchise is done.)
Money talks. She won’t have to work ever again after those two movies and she probably knows as she gets older the work will probably dry up anyway.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. She sucks. She reminds me of Jessica Biel in the way that you totally forget about her until you see her pop up now and again on a blog. Much like today!
James Cameron is one of my favorite directors but i hated Avatar with passion. It looked like a cartoon to me. When is he going to make real movies again ?
Avatar was a mixed bag. Loved the 3D, loved the visuals, loved the action but it got way too long and preachy and story-wise, just went into the Pocahontas/Dances With Wolves/The Last Samurai territory. 3 sequels are damn too much. Unless you have a stellar Tolkien-penned LOTR scale epic saga, which is not exactly what I expect from James Cameron. He makes solid, entertaining movies – T2, True Lies, Titanic, The Abyss, Aliens are all good films but I think Avatar was his weakest fare to date. I bought the blu-ray but haven’t watched it more than once. So much of Pandora was already covered in Avatar itself that as far as the flora/fauna is concerned, I can just expect a neon shark and a discoball T-Rex in the sequels.
Zoe Saldana’s take on blockbusters? Its cool that she wants to do more in her roles but let’s face it – indie movies aren’t all that great or memorable. When it comes to great cinema, they are as much a miss as a hit just as blockbusters. 3000 Indie movies made about someone fighting cancer, 4000 Indie movies made about painful childhood or divorce. Calls for good acting? Yes. Touching subjects? Yes. As memorable as Star Wars/Die Hard/Jurassic Park/Independence Day? No. A great movie and a great character has nothing to do with it being a blockbuster or an indie. Maybe now she’s all set money-wise she’s focusing on getting awards for her roles in the future.
Avatar in 3D was boring once the novelty wore off. Saldana looks best with blue paint and a mask. The tail, not so much. I’ll never see another Avatar so if we’re lucky, she’ll retire & go away afterwards.
Avatar was one of the worst, most ridiculously over-hyped movies of all time and I would rather watch Saldana stumble her way through a boring ass indie flick on a 12in t.v., with commercials, than see another Avatar.
Zoe is also in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy as one of the Guardians, so there’s a good chance she’ll be in an Avengers’ movie. This makes THREE franchises of which she is a part, so I don’t get the snobbery.
Bless Saldana for doing god’s work daily in proving that skinny women don’t look good in everything. Seriously, is she basing her PR on appearing in “Fashion Don’t” lists? Everything just looks awkward and uncomfortable on her.
I feel like I’m writing fan fiction here (except I’m not much of a fan), but it seems like she’s looked very sad and gaunt since the bust-up with Bradley Cooper. I think she really liked that old ratface. This marriage looks like something of a rebound situation. (Photo assumption, totally.)
Avatar was so boring to me. And Zoe Saldana will never be more than a mediocre, B list actress who thinks she’s some amazing, deep artist. I can’t stand her Uhura in Star Trek, in fact I can’t think of one movie she was in that I actually enjoyed.
I’ve read and seen quite a few Zoe Saldana interviews and I have come to the conclusion, without a doubt, that Zoe Saldana is an idiot. Maybe idiot is too harsh, but she’s not that bright at all.
She says she wants a deep role and isn’t into blockbusters, but I think that’s her trying to sound intelligent when she clearly isn’t.