Avatar sequel delayed by a year

Film director James Cameron has said the next Avatar movie has been delayed by one year and will now be released in late 2017.

Cameron is working on three sequels to Avatar, which he plans to release over consecutive years.

The first had been due in late 2016.

But he says the writing process has been “very involved” and the initial target date was probably too ambitious.

Cameron was speaking in New Zealand, where he was helping to promote the local film industry with other directors, including The Hobbit’s Peter Jackson.

Cameron shot the original movie in New Zealand and is planning to shoot the sequels there.

Released in 2009, Avatar became the highest-grossing film in history, with a box office take of nearly $2.8bn. It won three Academy Awards.