The first sequel to blockbuster hit Avatar will be released in December 2014 with a second to follow 12 months later, 20th Century Fox has announced.

James Cameron will start writing the scripts early next year and said the films will be "self-contained stories that also fulfil a greater story arc".

"We will not back off the throttle of Avatar's visual and emotional horse-power," the director continued.

Avatar has earned $2.77 billion (£1.76 billion) at the global box office.

It holds for the record for the highest-grossing film ever, having exceeded Titanic's international takings of $1.84bn (£1.16bn) in January.

Like the first film, the Avatar sequels will be set on the distant moon of Pandora and will be shot in 3D.

Cameron, 56, has yet to decide whether he will make the films separately or back to back.

In a news release, the Oscar-winning director said the Avatar sequels would "continue to explore its themes and characters, which touched the hearts of audiences in all cultures around the world".

He said he was "looking forward to returning to Pandora, a world where our imaginations can run wild."

Source: Press Release