Production on the four sequels to Avatar could reportedly resume in New Zealand in the coming weeks.

The James Cameron movie became the highest-grossing movie of all time upon its release in 2009 - a record since surpassed by Avengers: Endgame - prompting Fox to greenlight four follow-up movies with a combined budget of $1 billion (£810 million).

Filming on the sequels began in September 2017 but was brought to a halt by the coronavirus crisis, which has shut down the majority of film and TV productions around the world.

According to Deadline, the New Zealand government have now given the go-ahead for productions to resume, paving the way for Avatar to start filming again in the coming months.

New Zealand is one of the countries least affected by coronavirus, with just 21 deaths and 1,497 confirmed cases to date.

The four Avatar sequels are due to be released at Christmas every two years between 2021 and 2027.