Avatar Star Stephen Lang Spills Sequel Details - Exclusive
James Cameron's Avatar was a blockbuster hit in 2009, but it has taken more than a decade for a sequel to materialize. The legendary director seems to be trying to make it worth our wait, however, because we are getting four Avatar sequels, in fact, the first of which, tentatively titled Avatar 2, is set for release in December 2022, with Avatar 5 coming out in 2028. Stephen Lang, who currently stars in the horror film, The Seventh Day, will be reprising his role as the hard-edged Colonel Miles Quaritch in the sequels. In the original film, the Colonel served as the main antagonist, hell-bent on keeping the Na'vi in check and winning the Pandoran War by any means necessary. Despite seemingly being killed, Lang's character is expected to appear in all four sequels.
During a recent interview to discuss his role in The Seventh Day, which is out now in theaters and on demand, Lang exclusively spoke to Looper about the upcoming Avatar films, revealing some interesting details in the process.
Avatar 2 is on track to be released in 2022
One of the biggest questions on fans' minds may be whether Avatar 2 is actually on track to be released in 2022. According to Lang, "It'll be ready." But just where in the process is the film right now? "We finished the principal photography on Avatar 2 and 3, so a lot of my work is complete," Lang said. "Although there still will be a vast amount, or a goodly amount, of post-production cleanup and stuff that I have to do."
"I know that Jim Cameron, right now, is spending every day on the stage with his virtual cameras and really, really making the movie that he wants to make. He's accrued all the assets, all the footage," Lang continued. "The Weta [Digital] artists, and artists around the world, are working on turning that world of Pandora into a three-dimensionally remarkable place. And the work goes on, and I think it's going very, very well."
Stephen Lang admits that his Avatar character is always in his back pocket
Avatar 2 and 3 began filming back in 2017, nearly eight years after the original was released and 10 years since it was filmed. So just how hard — or easy — was it for Lang to get back into character as Colonel Miles Quaritch? "In a way, it never really left me," Lang said. "Jim had always kind of advised me to keep it alive, and would always inquire, 'Hey, you still in good shape?' So I never really let the character completely go. I remember the first day of shooting back in 2017, it just felt like it was the absolute right place to be. It fit good, the character fit good. So I never really lose that character."
Despite the seemingly all-consuming nature of filming not one, not two, but four Avatar sequels, Lang has still found time to pursue other projects, like The Seventh Day, and it isn't hard for him to put the Colonel aside and tackle new, unrelated roles. "You compartmentalize," Lang says. "I can file the Colonel away when I have to, because I know where to find him. And because of the nature of scheduling in Avatar, I know when I'm going to be needed for long periods of time and when I can afford to just let the Colonel go, knowing he's there when I need him."
The Seventh Day is out now in theaters and on demand.