James Cameron said the first Avatar sequel will be delayed until late 2017.

The movie was slated for a late 2016 release but the screenwriting process has taken longer than expected. Cameron has been working on three scripts for three Avatar sequels that will be released in consecutive years.

The original goal was to have all three scripts done by the end of this month but Cameron admits this was too ambitious. “There’s a layer of complexity in getting the story to work as a saga across three films that you don’t get when you’re making a stand-alone film,” he said.

The 

Avatar movies will be filmed in New Zealand, where the first installation of the series was filmed. Jon Landau will serve as the movie’s producer and Cameron will direct all three films.

More From InvestorPlace