Cameron to use underwater motion capture for 'Avatar' sequels

Filmmaker James Cameron's forthcoming 'Avatar' sequels will feature underwater motion capture, according to Jon Landau, co-producer of the record-breaking first film.
Speaking at the Technology Summit on Cinema in Las Vegas, Landau said the Oscar-winning director will take advantage of the technologies brilliant people are putting out in next two films, the Hollywood Reporter said.
"James has proposed to make use of the process because we can simulate it visually but can't simulate it experientially for them," Landau said.
Cameron has previously hinted at the possibility of exploring the oceans of Pandora, the forest moon setting for his 2009 3D box-office hit, in future films.

"We want to take advantage of the technologies brilliant people are putting out to make the next two movies even more emotionally engaging and visually tantalising, and to really wrap up the story arc of our two main characters," Landau said
He described the process as "performance capture in water".

Cameron previously said he would shoot 'Avatar' parts two and three back to back and release the films in December 2014 and 2015 respectively, though that timeline has begun to look optimistic. There is also talk of a fourth film that may manifest as a prequel.
The film-maker has also hinted that the second film may take place on another planet in the same solar system as Pandora. He said in 2011 that characters which survived the first film "get to be in the second film, at least in some form". Some of the money made by the sequels will be donated to environmental causes.

'Avatar' is the highest-grossing film of all time, having taken USD 2.782 billion worldwide.