James Cameron and 20th Century Fox have set Sigourney Weaver to return in the director's three Avatar sequels in a different role. The filmmaker begins production later this year, The Hollywood Reporter said.

She joins previously announced cast returnees Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Stephen Lang.

“Sigourney and I have a long creative history, dating back to 1985 when we made Aliens. We're good friends who've always worked well together, so it just feels right that she's coming back for the Avatar sequels," Cameron said in a statement.

"Her character of Grace Augustine, as fans know, died in the first movie, so she's playing a different and in many ways more challenging character in the upcoming films. We’re both looking forward to this new creative challenge, the latest chapter in our long and continuing collaboration," he continued.

The as-yet-untitled Avatar sequels will be filmed back-to-back. The first will be released in December 2016, with the second to follow in December 2017 and the third a year later. The movies will be produced by Cameron and Jon Landau via their Lightstorm Entertainment.

Released in December 2009, Avatar is the top-grossing film of all time at the worldwide box office, earning $2.8 billion.