James Cameron‘s blue cat people have invaded CinemaCon 2022! That’s right, folks, Avatar is back! On Wednesday, Disney debuted teaser footage and details about the long-awaited Avatar 2, and we’ve got the goods. The next chapter of the Avatar film franchise is Avatar: The Way of Water.
In addition to revealing the new film’s title, it’s been announced that the original Avatar is getting a worldwide theatrical re-release on September 23, 2022. A teaser trailer for Avatar: The Way of Water will only play in theaters. In other words, an online debut for the footage is still weeks away, but it will be attached to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Each Avatar sequel is a stand-alone movie. There will be no cliffhangers. However, when looked at as a whole, the journey across all four movies will form a more extensive, collective story.
During the presentation, Jon Landau (Avatar: The Way of Water producer) introduced a video by James Cameron, who is currently in New Zealand putting the finishing touches on Avatar 2. In the video, Cameron admits that the pandemic threatened exhibitions, but he’s determined to work with theater owners to make a movie designed for cinemas. “We wanted the return to Pandora to be something really special. We set out to push the limits of what cinema can do.”
Concerning the teaser trailer for Avatar: The Way of Water shown at CinemaCon, Chris says the footage re-establishes Pandora, with humans and the Na’vi living in peace until a threat emerges. The trailer highlights plenty of action, including some striking underwater footage, unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. The high frame rate is jarring, but the technology and CGI are nothing short of incredible. The teaser might not sound like much, but when you see it in 3D on a giant movie screen – Wow!
The first film arrived in 2009 and became the highest-grossing film at the domestic box office and globally. Avatar has since been dethroned as the domestic box office champ. After briefly losing the global title to Avengers: Endgame, the movie reclaimed the title following a re-release in China during the pandemic.
Returning cast members include Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, Dileep Rao, CCH Pounder, and Matt Gerald. Sigourney Weaver is also returning, but she will reportedly play a different role. New cast additions bring us Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Michelle Yeoh, Jermaine Clement, Oona Chaplin, Vin Diesel, and CJ Jones.
Are you excited about Avatar 2, The Way of Water, and even the presence of a teaser? What do you think of the film’s title? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.