The upcoming trio of sequels to James Cameron's "Avatar" have been delayed yet again, with news that "Avatar 2" will not make its scheduled 2017 release date as planned.

TheWrap reports that the planned Christmas 2017 release has officially been pushed, as Cameron continues prepping for the daunting shoot, which was to have taken place back-to-back-to-back to accommodate for releasing one film in each of three consecutive years. No new release date for "Avatar 2" has been announced yet.

This is the second time that the sequels have had to adjust their release schedule: "Avatar 2" was originally slated to hit theaters in December 2016, with "Avatar 3" and "Avatar 4" following in 2017 and 2018. After the first delay, that schedule was amended to 2017, 2018, and 2019.

According to TheWrap, Cameron remains committed to his ambitious shooting plan, and still intends to film the entire trilogy of sequels in one swoop in New Zealand. "Soundstage construction and some computer animation work is in the early stages, but a start date for filming has not been set," the site says.

The original "Avatar," released in 2009, remains the world's highest-grossing flick internationally, and it looks unlikely that "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will overtake its daunting $2.8 billion haul. The only real challengers, it seems, are the "Avatar" sequels themselves; it remains to be seen, however, just when they'll make their long-awaited debut.

Stay tuned.

[via: TheWrap]