There's no guarantee that James Cameron will direct Avatar 4, but the creator of The Conjuring is interested in taking over the franchise. Avatar: Fire and Ash was recently released in theaters as the third film in the hugely successful series of sci-fi films created by Cameron, who has plans for two more installments.
However, the director has other projects he wants to work on, including a new Terminator film.
If Cameron decides to step away from directing the next Avatar film, James Wan wants to take a stab at the multi-billion-dollar franchise. In an interview with ScreenRant's Liam Crowley for The Copenhagen Test, Wan revealed that Avatar is one of the few franchises he hasn't been involved with yet. "I'd love to take a crack at that," he admitted.
"I have not done Avatar. Yeah, if you could put a good one for me with James Cameron, I'd love to take a crack at that."
It would be a big deal if Cameron stepped away from directing Avatar. Up until now, he's been closely involved in every aspect of the filmmaking process for the first three movies. So far, his vision and hard work have paid off, as the first two films grossed $2.923 billion and $2.343 billion, respectively, at the box office.
Avatar: Fire and Ash has only been in theaters for two weeks, but it's already closing in on $1 billion.
The future of the Avatar franchise is currently up in the air. While Disney has release dates on the calendar for Avatar 4 (December 21, 2029) and Avatar 5 (December 19, 2031), those plans could change, considering Cameron wants to direct other non-Avatar films, including a new Terminator.
Someone else could take over the directorial duties if Cameron decides to step away, which he has admitted is possible, even though he's already filmed some scenes for Avatar 4.
Wan has now expressed interest in helping Cameron out in the director's chair. Avatar would hardly be his first major franchise, as he's worked on Saw, Insidious, The Conjuring, Fast & Furious and the DC Extended Universe (Aquaman).
The Conjuring franchise alone has grossed $2.8 billion and is the most lucrative horror series ever. Meanwhile, the Saw movies have collectively earned over $1 billion, and Aquaman and Furious 7 have both crossed the $1 billion threshold as well.
Wan is one of the most successful directors ever, alongside such acclaimed names as Steven Spielberg, Cameron, the Russo Brothers, Peter Jackson, Christopher Nolan and Ridley Scott. He's currently a producer on the new Peacock thriller The Copenhagen Test, starring Simu Liu and Melissa Barrera.
The Conjuring creator has several movies in the works as a producer, including Mortal Kombat II, Insidious: The Bleeding World and a new Paranormal Activity film.
Cameron hasn't revealed just yet how he plans to proceed with the Avatar franchise going forward. If Wan does step in to direct Avatar 4, the franchise would surely be in great hands. Whether Cameron would truly feel comfortable handing the reins over to someone else is the $2 billion question at this point.
