Director James Cameron today announced that the sequels to Avatar, the first of which was to be released in late 2016, have been pushed back to 2017, Associated Press have reported.

Stating “complexity” in the writing process as the main reason for the delay, Cameron explained how the writing process for the three sequels has proved to be “very involved”. Cameron is the lead writer on all the sequel, which he hopes to have completed scripts for by the end of January 2015.

“We’re writing three simultaneously,” the director has said, reasoning that this will lead to a synergy “so that everything tracks throughout the three films”. The new sequels will be released over three consecutive years, however will be shot back-to-back.

The original Avatar, released in 2009, retains the crown for the highest-grossing film in history. It has won awards at the Golden Globes (Best Drama) and won Academy Awards for visual effects, art and cinematography.