Cameron: 'Avatar sequel set for 2014'

James Cameron has said that his two upcoming Avatar sequels could be released by Christmas 2014 and 2015.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the director revealed his plans to shoot both movies at the same time.

"I am in the process of writing the next two Avatar films now," he said.

"We are planning to shoot them together and post them together, and we will probably release them not quite back-to-back, but about a year apart. Christmas '14 and '15 is the current plan."

Cameron went on to say that both follow-ups would feature the same characters introduced in the first film.

"Basically, if you survived the first film, you get to be in the second film, at least in some form," he explained.

He also announced that studio Fox would donate some profits from the sequels to environmental causes.

"Fox has partnered with me to donate a chunk of the profits to environmental causes that are at the heart of the Avatar world," Cameron added. "I didn't want to make more Avatar movies without a grander plan in place."

The original Avatar grossed more than $2 billion worldwide.