It’s safe to say “Avatar 2” is the most highly-anticipated film of the year — or possibly in years — and Disney has finally shared some details about the James Cameron-helmed sequel.
During its presentation at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Disney revealed “Avatar 2,” which will hit theaters in December after being delayed several times, is titled “Avatar: The Way of Water.”
Per Disney, the film’s synopsis reads: “Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.”
“Avatar” stars returning for the sequel include Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, CCH Pounder and Giovanni Ribisi. Meanwhile, Kate Winslet, Edie Falco, Michelle Yeoh, Jemaine Clement and Cliff Curtis are among the newcomers.
“Avatar: The Way of Water” is directed by Cameron, and produced by Cameron and Jon Landau. Cameron and Josh Friedman wrote the screenplay.
CinemaCon attendees viewed the first teaser trailer for “Avatar 2” in 3D. The trailer will debut in theaters with Marvel’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” on May 6.
According to Variety, the footage “contained almost no dialogue,” but rather “exhibitors were immersed into different regions across the dazzling world of Pandora through sweeping visuals of the planet’s crystal blue oceans and lake.”
Similarly, Deadline said “Avatar: The Way of Water” “looks even more jaw-dropping in its deep-blue visuals than the 2009 film.” The outlet also noted that the trailer shows “all new creatures.”
“We see the Na’vi on flying fish bird creatures, communing with a whale, and yet somehow divided despite their affinity with nature,” Deadline wrote of the trailer. “The alien people are split, battling against each other in a guns vs. arrows fight.”
Meanwhile, at one point in the teaser, Jake Sully (Worthington) says to Neytiri (Saldana): “I know one thing. Wherever we go, this family is our fortress.”
During Disney’s presentation at CinemaCon, Cameron appeared via a video message from Wellington, New Zealand, where he said he’s “hard at work putting the final touches” on “Avatar 2,” per Deadline.
Cameron said the “Avatar” sequels are “pushing limits even farther with high frame rate, higher resolution 3D and greater reality in our visual effects. I wanted our return to Pandora to be something really special. Every shot is designed for the biggest screen, highest resolution and most immersive 3D available. I think we pulled it off.”
Producer Landau, who traveled to Vegas for the exhibition, said, “One of the strengths of Jim Cameron’s scripts is they are always universal and relatable themes that he weaves into them.”
Landau also revealed that “at the center of each of the four sequels will be the Sully family,” adding that “each story will be a stand-alone and each will come to its own conclusion.” The Oscar winner went on to share that there will be a “fulfilling resolution to each film, but when looked at as a whole, the journey across all four will create a larger epic saga.”
“The journey across all four movies will create a connected saga,” Landau explained. “To achieve our goals, we need a strong partnership with you and the studio … an end-to-end community.”
Meanwhile, Disney also announced that it will be re-releasing “Avatar” in theaters on September 23.
“Avatar: The Way of Water” is set to hit theaters on December 16, 2022. The following three sequels are scheduled to be released in December 2024, 2026 and 2028, respectively.
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