Big empire for Avatar

A STAR WARS- style merchandising empire is planned for the Avatar fantasy film franchise, which will dramatically expand its universe over two decades.

Wairarapa-based director James Cameron’s $1.15 billion trilogy of sequels – to be shot in Wellington – will launch a multibillion-dollar industry of spinoff products, including books, a theme park, and a globally touring Cirque du Soleil show. The newly-announced stage extravaganza will be based around ‘‘the Pandoraverse’’, named after Avatar’s imaginary central planet, Pandora, which is inhabited by blue-skinned warriors.

Filming is due to start on the Government-subsidised sequels this year, and they will be released each Christmas starting in 2016.

The highest-grossing movie of all time, the original Avatar – starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver – involved considerable Kiwi input.

But the millions of taxpayers’ dollars being injected into the franchise has drawn criticism, including from Treasury officials.

The movies’ producers will get at least $125 million of taxpayers’ dollars in return for spending at least $500m making the films here.

The 59-year-old Cameron’s production partner has said he expects the filmmaker’s team to explore ‘‘the Pandoraverse’’ over the next 20 years.