Disney Announces New 'Avatar' Experience Attraction 'Coming Soon'
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'Avatar' is being considered a 'core franchise' for Disney.
Avatar is coming to Disneyland.
Disney CEO Bob Iger announced earlier this week that the California theme park would add a new attraction based on the franchise.
Not much was revealed about the upcoming attraction, with Iger simply referring to it as the “Avatar Experience,” and suggesting that it’s “coming soon” during a call to report the Q1 2023 earnings.
It’s possible that Disney World’s “Pandora - The World of Avatar” could serve as inspiration, or at least give fans some idea of what the upcoming attraction entails.
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Located in the Animal Kingdom Theme Park in Florida, "The World of Avatar" features the Valley of Mo’ara, the Na’vi River Journey, and the fan-favorite Avatar Flight of Passage, a 3D ride that takes park goers on an exhilarating journey on the back of a mountain banshee.
Lizzy Buczak
Based on the recent success of Avatar: The Way of Water, it’s not a surprise that Iger considers it a “core” franchise to the company, noting that the brand will leverage the success across business lines and territories.
The sequel film, also directed by James Cameron, has grossed over $2.17 billion globally; it’s now the fourth highest-grossing movie ever with 2009’s Avatar holding the top spot at $2.93 billion, followed by Avengers: Endgame and Titanic.
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And there’s plenty more where that came from, as Cameron has three more films in the works, called Avatar 3, 4, and 5 for now, which are scheduled for release over the next few years—Dec. 20, 2024, Dec. 18, 2026, and Dec. 22, 2028, respectively.
Iger also shared some exciting news about two additional franchises, noting that sequels to Toy Story and Frozen were in the works, along with a Zootopia sequel.
Unfortunately, there was also some bleak news, as Iger disclosed some cost-cutting measures. As part of a company-wide restructuring, he said there would be 7,000 employee layoffs with a goal of reaching $5.5 billion in cost savings.
“I have enormous respect and appreciate for the dedication of our employees worldwide,” he explained, adding, “While this is necessary to address the challenges we face today, I do not make this decision lightly.”
The layoffs will span across all Disney’s empires and properties.
