‘Avatar’ sequels halt production in NZ due to coronavirus

WELLINGTON: The production of three “Avatar” sequels in New Zealand has been suspended as a precaution against the coronavirus outbreak.

According to Variety magazine, the New Zealand Film Commission confirmed a postponement until further notice after crew members received emails from the producers announcing to immediately halt production.

The film’s executive team was scheduled to fly from Los Angeles to New Zealand on Friday, and to resume a block of shooting at the Stone Street Studios in Wellington. They will now remain in the US, but is not known if the group included director James Cameron.

“We’ve delayed it. We had plans to come down Friday night with a group of people and start back up and we made the decision to hold off and continue working here (in Los Angeles), and come down there a little bit later than we’d planned,” producer Jon Landau a New Zealand daily.

“We’re in the midst of a global crisis and this is not about the film industry. I think everybody needs to do now whatever we can do, as we say here, to flatten the (coronavirus) curve.”

The shooting has alternated between studios at Kumeu near Auckland and Stone Street in Wellington, so that sets can be built at one studio while filming goes ahead at another facility.

The current production schedule spans two and a half movies. Being shot in stereoscopic 3D, the film uses large amounts of motion capture footage and visual effects.

The new release dates for the four Avatar sequels were announced last month: ‘Avatar 2’ is set for December 17, 2021; ‘Avatar 3’ is scheduled for December 2023. ‘Avatar 4’ is set for December 2025; and ‘Avatar 5’ is scheduled for December 2027.

In the last few days, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced some of the world’s strictest travel restrictions calling the measures “unprecedented and far-reaching”.

Effective from last Sunday, all international visitors to New Zealand must self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival, with the exception of those from Pacific island nations. New Zealand has 12 cases of coronavirus but no fatalities.