James Cameron's Avatar sequel to be released in 2020

The long-awaited sequel to the science fictionepicAvatar from famed Canadian director James Cameron will require a little more patience from fans three-and-a-half years to be exact.

According to the movie's official Facebook page, the next Avatarfilm will open in theatres Dec. 18, 2020. It's one of four upcoming films in the franchise.

"Avatar takes flight as we begin concurrent production on four sequels," the post reads alongside a birdseye photo of the crew involved inthe project.

Following the first sequel, the next onewillbereleased a year later, on Dec. 17, 2021.

Thefranchisewill take a three-year break before returning to the screen with two more installments, on Dec.20, 2024 and Dec. 19, 2025 respectively.

Avatar was the first film to gross more than $2 billion US when it was released in 2009 and earnednearly $2.8 billionworldwide.

The story is set infictional Pandora, a resource-rich environment whichfuture humans are trying to colonize. It'sinhabited by the blue-skinned humanoid species, Na'vi, under threat fromthe expansion.

The original starred Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver.

The first sequel had been expected in 2018 but Cameron, who was also behind the 1997Oscar-winning film Titanic and sci-fi thrillers such as The Terminator and Aliens,said earlier this year that wasn't going to happen.

Cameron initially told the Toronto Starin March about the delay, but saidthe scripts weredone for all four Avatar films. The director called it "an epic undertaking" "not unlike building the Three Gorges Dam."