Anybody who has been to Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, knows how magical it is. Getting into the world of James Cameron’s Avatar is really awe-inspiring, and with more movies potentially on the way, it was unsurprising when Disney announced that it was adding a second Avatar-themed part to one in every of its parks, this time Disney’s California Journey in Anaheim, CA.
Now, nonetheless, a brand new report claims that this will likely not be occurring anymore and that it’d get taken over by one other Disney franchise, Zootopia.
This week, the Wrap has an intensive report about how, though James Cameron’s third Avatar film, Avatar: Fireplace and Ash, grossed nearly $1.5 billion, it could not have been sufficient to justify two extra sequels with the identical course of or its beforehand introduced theme park growth.
Clearly, this is a big, advanced situation. One which Cameron himself has addressed in current interviews. The Avatar motion pictures are costly and, in the event that they don’t dwell up to the franchise’s nearly not possible expectations, they don’t make as a lot monetary sense. So whereas the subsequent two motion pictures are nonetheless a bit extra up in the air, we’re going to focus extra on the theme park query as a result of that has extra clues.
Working example, the space the place the Avatar land was anticipated to arrive at California Journey meant a present Monsters Inc. trip would have to go away. Disney initially introduced the trip can be closing in early 2026, however lately, that was delayed until 2027. Why would the trip be scheduled to keep open longer? Almost definitely as a result of building on the new space has additionally been delayed, and there may be cause why.
“Disney doesn’t do something and not using a cause,” former Imagineer Jim Shull informed the Wrap. “The truth is that Avatar 3 did okay, however as a cultural power, it’s exhausted. No one is demanding to see extra. They like what they’ve, and in the event that they actually prefer it, they will go to Florida and see it. California does not have a number of land. If Avatar had been an enormous success and other people have been demanding 4 and 5 and past, that will change the equation. However there’s not a number of demand.”
As a substitute, hypothesis is that the house will turn into a second Zootopia-themed space, especially since Zootopia 2 massively overperformed, changing into the studio’s highest-grossing movie of the yr. (It beat Avatar: Fireplace and Ash by nearly $400 million worldwide.)
Shanghai Disneyland has a Zootopia space and trip that, apparently, followers love. So, in one other clue, the Wrap cites a supply claiming that since that extremely rated Zootopia trip makes use of an identical trip system to one other standard trip, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, it could be a lot simpler to preserve than a brand new Avatar boat trip, which might require its personal water therapy facility. Plus, you understand, Zootopia simply has a bit extra juice proper now.
“Zootopia 2 exceeded expectations by way of cash and laid the groundwork for extra Zootopia,” Shull added. “If I have been [Disney CEO] Josh D’Amaro, in the seat, taking a look at the inventory, I do know that I may go to the board and say, ‘I’ve modified my thoughts for the stronger property,’ and there can be no pushback.”
io9 reached out to a consultant for the Disneyland Resort and can replace this piece if or once we hear again.
Head over to the Wrap to learn extra about the potential future, or lack thereof, of Avatar. And, under, inform us should you’d favor to see a second Avatar land at the Disneyland Resort or a second Zootopia land.
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