For the next several years, each Christmas will include a major new installment from the world of Stars Wars or Avatar.
James Cameron’s speech at CinemaCon 2016 on Thursday, April 14 ensured that there will be a big gift under each year’s Christmas tree for the foreseeable future. That is, if you’re a fan of Pandora or a Galaxy Far Far Away.
The director announced that four (rather than three) Avatar movies are in the works, and that each of them will come out over Christmas. Lucasfilm had previously set two Star Wars movies for the next couple Christmases, meaning the major winter holiday is booked up by blockbusters for a while.
Here’s how the next eight Christmases look:
- 2016: Star Wars: Rogue One
- 2017: Star Wars: Episode VIII
- 2018: Avatar 2
- 2019: Star Wars: Episode IX (maybe*)
- 2020: Avatar 3
- 2021: [Currently open]
- 2022: Avatar 4
- 2023: Avatar 5
There are two years we need to talk about: 2019 and 2021. *Star Wars: Episode IX is currently set to hit theaters on May 23, 2019. You may remember that The Force Awakens and the yet-to-be-titled Episode VIII were also set for the summers of 2015 and 2017, but were pushed back to each year’s Christmas holiday.
While it’s still possible that Episode IX will keep its summer 2019 date, it’s also very possible that the ninth Star Wars will move to Christmas 2019. With three Christmases in a row featuring a new Star Wars movie (2015, 2016, 2017), Disney has obviously created a new holiday tradition out of that weekend for their galaxy, so it’d be a little crazy if they kept Episode IX in the summer.
That just leaves Christmas 2021 open. What could go there? God knows it won’t be an Avatar movie — James Cameron is busy enough working on the other four. Maybe Disney will place a Star Wars spinoff in that spot. Their Han Solo spinoff is currently set for May 2018, but the other spinoff — rumored to be Boba Fett-centric — doesn’t have a date.
Or, the 10th Star Wars film could go in December 2021. What, you thought they’d stop after Colin Trevorrow’s Episode IX?
The Force Awakens had an amazing box office over the Christmas season ($289 million on opening weekend beginning December 18, another $149 million the following weekend over Christmas itself), reminding studios that this can be a very lucrative spot. Expect blockbusters to be placed on Christmas beyond these next eight years, too.
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