Lunar New Year 2014

Wishing All of You ...

Avatar 2, 3 and 4 to screen from 2016

Avatar 2 is set for release in 2016, Avatar 3 in 2017 and Avatar 4 in 2018. The three movies will be shot back-to-back over the course of about a year, with filming set to begin on Avatar 2 in October 2014, according to ScreenRant.com.

Zoe Saldana & Sam Worthington Confirmed for Three ‘Avatar’ Sequels’
by H. Shaw-Williams

The movie release schedule for 2015 is already staggering under the weight of a number of huge sequels, from The Avengers: Age of Ultron to Star Wars: Episode VII, so it’s something of a relief that the master of box office profit, James Cameron, is saving the follow-up to his sci-fi magnum opus Avatar until 2016.

Because over four years have passed since the release of Avatar, it’s probably necessary to reaffirm a few details about the sequels, even the ones that seem obvious. Twentieth Century Fox has done just that with the announcement that Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington will reprise their roles as Neytiri and Jake Sully in the three upcoming Avatar sequels.

Both Worthington and Saldana, who weren’t too well-known prior to their casting in Avatar, have enjoyed healthy careers since its release. Saldana has seen a little more of the spotlight and is currently involved in two additional franchises, starring as Uhura in J.J. Abrams’ rebooted Star Trek universe and as Gamora in James Gunn’s upcoming Marvel movie Guardians of the Galaxy. Meanwhile, Worthington has played the lead in both Clash of the Titans and Wrath of the Titans. Since Avatar remains the highest-grossing film of all time, however, it’s doubtful that either actor would be hesitant to get back into the franchise.

Despite the long wait for Avatar 2, these three sequels are currently set to release in quick succession. Avatar 2 will be released in 2016, Avatar 3 in 2017 and Avatar 4 in 2018, and the three movies will be shot back-to-back over the course of about a year, with filming set to begin on Avatar 2 in October of this year.

Even if you’re not a fan of Avatar, there’s no denying that Cameron pushed visual effects forward massively during the making of it. His technique of using a boom-mounted camera to capture the actors’ facial expressions for animators to use later has since been widely popularized in movies like Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and also in the video game industry with recent releases like The Last of Us and Beyond: Two Souls.

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how Cameron handles Avatar 2, which is said to be set largely in the oceans of Pandora and will almost certainly push the envelope when it comes to creating visual effects for underwater worlds.

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Avatar 2 is scheduled for release in December 2016, Avatar 3 in December 2017, and Avatar 4 lastly in December 2018.

Source: Twentieth Century Fox

Feelings of Melancholy

Those who play Jewels Star on the smartphone would understand the feeling I am talking about in this entry.

When we think we have done better than before, we often find that it is not good enough. When we perform exceptionally well, it gets tougher. The struggles are always present and our desires are never reaching.

Life's a challenge, and we know we can seldom reach what we hope to have or to achieve. Just when we think we are about done, things get tougher and the only choice for us seems to look upward for a better future beyond the grave.

Lost Past or Promising Future?

When I reported to the police about the loss of my smartphone and several credit and rebate cards recently, I was told to check back with the Found and Unclaimed Property Office after a week on the status and follow-up from there. The officer said even if the police post where I reported was to receive the found items from someone, I would not be informed about the status and the items would still be delivered to the Found and Unclaimed Property Office.

Such a practice, to me, is very strange. No wonder the department is known as Found and Unclaimed Property.

After more than a week, I have finally given up the hope of recovering the lost items. The year is brand new, but what I've lost in the year before is more than just the items I reported to the police.

What about you? Have you much to celebrate for the new year with a memorable last year or are you leaving behind some regrets as you look ahead of what's to come?

Happy New Year 2014

Wishing You a ...

Have a fruitful year ahead with pleasant dreams
come true for you and your loved ones!
God bless.