New Zealand relaxes epidemic prevention regulations, "Avatar", "Lord of the Rings" and other films will resume filming

New Zealand has begun allowing some movies and TV series to resume filming after the new coronavirus quarantine is lifted, including Amazon's "Lord of the Rings" web series and James Cameron's "Avatar 2" and "Avatar 3".

DeadLine reports that some other movies and TV series have already resumed work, so these two most important projects will follow suit as soon as it is deemed safe. Although the filming of the "Avatar" sequel was suspended after the outbreak of the virus, the production of visual effects has never stopped.

The New Zealand Film Commission said all local film and television productions must register with ScreenSafe, the New Zealand health and safety agency, to help the health department track potential safety hazards. New Zealand has taken very strict measures to deal with the crisis, with 1,100 confirmed cases and 21 deaths publicly reported so far.

International travel will continue to be restricted locally, but social restrictions will be lifted later this month, allowing teams of up to 100 people to gather. This provides conditions for the filming of large crews, but some actors who want to rush to New Zealand from abroad as soon as possible will still face some difficulties.

"Avatar 2" will be released on December 17, 2021, and Cameron also plans to release "Avatar 3, 4, and 5" in 23, 25, and 27 years. It is worth mentioning that the last two possible sequels depend on the box office performance of "Avatar 2".