'Game of Thrones' Star Oona Chaplin Joins 'Avatar' Sequels (original) (raw)

Twentieth Century Fox and Lightstorm Entertainment have added “Game of Thrones” star Oona Chaplin in James Cameron‘s four upcoming Avatar sequels.

Lightstorm president Jon Landau made the announcement during Fox’s CineEurope presentation on Tuesday in Barcelona, Spain.

Though the plot is being kept under wraps, Chaplin will play Varang, described as “a strong and vibrant central character who spans the entire saga of the sequels.”

Chaplin’s past credits include TV series “Taboo,” “The Crimson Field,” and Talisa Maegyr in “Game of Thrones” as well as the Fox 2000 film, “The Longest Ride.” She is the granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin.

In April, Cameron and Fox set the release dates for the four “Avatar” sequels, starting on Dec. 18, 2020, for “Avatar 2.”

“Avatar 3” will open Dec. 17, 2021, followed by a three-year break for “Avatar 4,” set for Dec. 20, 2024. “Avatar 5” will then open on Dec. 19, 2025.

Cameron had announced in 2016 at CinemaCon that he would make four “Avatar” sequels, promising that the films would start hitting theaters in 2018. The creator of the original “Avatar,” the 2009 fantasy epic that remains the all-time worldwide box office champion with $2.8 billion, said at the time that his vision for the story had expanded significantly.

Cameron said last year that he had first envisioned two sequels but after meeting with the screenwriters, artists, and designers, he realized that he had too much material for just two films. He initially decided on three sequels, then jumped to four.

Cameron and Landau are producing through their Lightstorm company. Returning cast includes Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang all returning. The script was written by Cameron with Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver, and Shane Salerno.