James Cameron has confirmed that Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh will appear as a Na'vi character named Palakpuelat in "Avatar 4 and Avatar 5," but only if the sequels are officially greenlit due to concerns about the film industry's financial downturn and the high cost of producing the franchise.​

The director made the announcement during a recent interview with TVBS News Japan, stating, "Michelle is definitely going to be in 4, if we make 4". Cameron emphasized that the future of the Avatar saga remains uncertain despite the franchise's box office success.

"The movie industry is depressed right now, and 'Avatar 3' cost a lot of money. We have to do well to continue. We not only have to succeed, but also find a way to make Avatar 4 more inexpensively in order to move forward," according to People.

Yeoh's character will be brought to life through performance capture technology, marking her first appearance in the Pandora universe after being linked to the franchise for several years.

While some scenes featuring Yeoh have already been filmed during the back-to-back production period from 2017 to 2020, she did not appear in "Avatar: Fire and Ash," which is currently in theaters.​

The fate of the final two installments depends heavily on the financial performance of "Avatar: Fire and Ash," which has grossed over $1 billion worldwide but trails its predecessors significantly, Yahoo News reported.

The third film cost approximately $250 million to produce, and Cameron has indicated that "Avatar 4 and 5" would require similar or larger budgets. If greenlit, Avatar 4 is scheduled for release on December 21, 2029, with Avatar 5 following on December 19, 2031.​

Cameron previously told Entertainment Weekly that if the sequels do not move forward, he would hold a press conference to reveal what would have happened in the final chapters.

The director has also suggested that filming "Avatar 4 and 5" simultaneously would be necessary to complete the overarching story, similar to how "The Way of Water and Fire and Ash" were produced together, as per Games Radar.

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James Cameron, Michelle Yeoh, Avatar