Way back in October 2010, a release date for the sequel to James Cameron's science fiction epic Avatar was announced, putting the movie on course to hit screens in December of 2014. That date didn't seem that unlikely, but, in an interview with Empire, producer Jon Landau has said that date "will be tough to make", also adding "Movies make release dates, release dates don't make movies". We are to assume from this the release date will be pushed back to 2015, or maybe 2016, but we haven't been told anything concrete.
But take heart, as work has started on the movie, with effects team Weta already working on the movies digital effects, and under water motion capture, backing up Cameron's claims that we will see more of alien planet Pandora this time around, including it's oceans. Speaking of the under water sequences, Landau said, "It's going to be like the floating mountains in the first movie. It's not going to be all under water; it's going to be a place we go to, leave, and come back to."
While I would rather see the sequel sooner rather than later, it's good to finally hear confirmation that work has begun, as everything we heard just felt like so much rumor up until now.