The worlds of “Avatar” are about to come alive again.
Canadian director James Cameron and producer Jon Landau touched down in Wellington, New Zealand, on Sunday to prepare for “Avatar” to resume production. As of May 29, New Zealand has one active COVID-19 case and all visitors to the country must enter a mandatory 14-day government-monitored quarantine period upon arrival.
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Landau announced their arrival on Instagram, sharing a snapshot of himself and Cameron at the airport with their masks on. He previously posted that crew that had been evacuated at the start of the coronavirus outbreak would be making their return shortly.
While other local productions have resumed, “Avatar” will be the first foreign production to start filming post-pandemic lockdown.
Production on the “Avatar” sequels starring Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, and Kate Winslet shut down in mid-March when the country initiated its strict lockdown measures.
New Zealand’s borders are still officially closed to foreigners so cast and crew from abroad used a border exemption clause for those who have “significant economic value.” The large scale concurrent production of three “Avatar” sequels is an economic boon to the country.
