James Cameron has plans for an Avatar 6 and 7 but might not direct them!

Avatar 2: The Way of Water arrives in theaters in 2 weeks. Avatar 3 is already filmed and ready to go. Originally Avatar creator James Cameron intended for his sci-franchise to span 5 films in total but a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter reveals he's got plans for a sixth and seventh installment if the next one performs well enough. However while he may want Avatar 6 and 7 to come to fruition, he admits he may bring on a different filmmaker to carry the mantle.

Speaking to THR, this is what Cameron had to say:

We’ll probably finish movie three regardless because it’s all shot. We’d have to really crater for it not to seem like it was worth the additional investment. We’d have to leave a smoking hole in the ground. Now, hopefully, we get to tell the whole thing because five’s better than four, four’s better than three, and three’s better than two.

While Cameron remains enthusiastic for the continuation of the Avatar series he admits by the time his current slate of films come out he'll be pushing 90 years old and doesn't expect to be in well enough shape to continue making more films:

I'd be 89 by then. Obviously, I’m not going to be able to make Avatar movies indefinitely, the amount of energy required. I would have to train somebody how to do this because, I don’t care how smart you are as a director, you don’t know how to do this

Avatar 2: The Way of Water hits theaters December 16th!