Actress Zoe Saldana welcomes "Avatar" sequel filming announcement

Actress Zoe Saldana is happy release dates for the long-anticipated sequels to 2009 box office smash hit "Avatar" have been announced, joking she does not want to get "too old" to not be able to do her own stunts in the adventure fantasy.

At the weekend, the official "Avatar" Facebook page posted a photo of director James Cameron with a production team beneath a caption reading: "Great to be working with the best team in the business! Avatar takes flight as we begin concurrent production on four sequels.

"The journey continues December 18, 2020, December 17, 2021, December 20, 2024 and December 19, 2025!"

Speaking to Reuters at the London premiere of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" on Monday night, Saldana welcomed the announcement.

"I'm happy that it's finally here because...I don't want to get too old and shoot it because I won't be able to do my stunts," the 38-year-old actress, who played Neytiri, said. "If I haven't warmed up, I can't do a stunt to save my life."

Set in 2154 on the magical moon Pandora and offering plenty of visual effects, "Avatar", which also starred Sam Worthington and Sigourney Weaver, took in some $2.8 billion at box offices worldwide, smashing records.

A sequel had been first eyed for 2014 but was delayed.