newsmakers

October 28, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

newsmakers

Cameron will make 2 ‘Avatar’ sequels

LOS ANGELES

James Cameron will start writing the scripts for two “Avatar” sequels early next year, aiming to land the first one in theaters four years from now.

Executives at 20th Century Fox announced Wednesday that Cameron has settled on two sequels to the blockbuster hit as his next film projects, with plans to begin production in late 2011.

The studio hopes to have the first of the as-yet- untitled sequels in theaters in December 2014, with the third movie in the franchise following in December 2015. Like the first film, the sequels will be shot in 3-D.

Cameron will decide whether to shoot the films back-to-back after he completes the scripts for the sequels to his sci-fi sensation. Set on the distant Pandora, “Avatar” is the biggest modern blockbuster, with $2.8 billion at the box office worldwide.

Bieber, Perry, Ke$ha at music awards

LOS ANGELES

A newlywed, a teen heartthrob and a glittery pop star are set to take the stage at the 38th annual American Music Awards.

Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and Ke$ha will make their debuts on the AMAs next month, producers said Wednesday. All three are multiple nominees, and all are up for artist of the year, along with Lady Gaga and Eminem. Bieber is nominated for four awards. Ke$ha and Perry have three bids each. Eminem and Lady Antebellum lead nominees with five apiece. The American Music Awards will be presented Nov. 21 at the Nokia Theatre and broadcast live on ABC. Music fans can choose the winners by voting online.

‘Hobbit’ will remain in New Zealand

WELLINGTON, New Zealand

Two $500 million “Hobbit” movies will be made in New Zealand as originally planned, Prime Minister John Key said Wednesday, after two days of crisis talks with Hollywood studio executives. Senior executives from Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema won an agreement for a change in labor law and bigger tax breaks to keep the project in New Zealand after a dispute over pay and conditions for actors threw the production into turmoil last week.

The studios had warned that unless the threat of labor action was removed, production of the two movies would be moved to another country. The dispute became a national issue in New Zealand, which received a huge boost to its tourism and filmmaking industries after “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy was made here.

Title is revealed for ‘Batman’ film

LOS ANGELES

Christopher Nolan’s third Batman film will be called “The Dark Knight Rises,” and though the Gotham City auteur isn’t ready to reveal the villain of his 2012 film, he did eliminate one of the big contenders: “It won’t be the Riddler,” Nolan said in an exclusive interview.

Nolan was most eager to talk about the fact that Warner Bros. had agreed with his argument that the film should resist the current 3-D craze and instead use high-definition approaches and IMAX cameras to strike out on a different cinematic path than the stereoscopic technology that, for better or worse, has become the dominant conversation in the blockbuster sector.

As for the title, it shows the writer-director’s intention to keep his Bruce Wayne trilogy tightly stitched together. “We’ll use many of the same characters as we have all along, and we’ll be introducing some new ones,” Nolan said cryptically.

Original Darth Vader costume up for sale

LONDON

The Force can be with you — for a price. Christie’s auction house says it is selling an original Darth Vader costume from the “Star Wars” movie franchise. The jet-black helmet, mask and armor worn by the intergalactic villain are expected to sell for between $250,000 and $365,000 at a sale of pop-culture memorabilia next month. Christie’s said Wednesday that the costume is thought to have been made for “The Empire Strikes Back,” the second film in George Lucas’ sci-fi series, released in 1980. Christie’s did not name the owner, identified only as an American private collector. The sale takes place Nov. 25 in London.

Vindicator wire services