by Nearly 13 years after audiences were wowed by the immersive opulence of director James Cameron’s “Avatar” and its exotic planet Pandora, “Avatar: The Way of Water” hits theaters on December 16.
This mega-budget sci-fi sequel has been a long time coming, mainly to allow CGI technology to advance enough to realistically depict underwater environments. Loyal fans raved about the first trailer for “Avatar: The Way of Water” that was released with screenings of Marvel Studios’ “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”
To prepare theatergoers for the $250 million follow-up and introduce Jake Sully, Neytiri and the indigenous Na’vi’s fight to protect their remote world from greedy corporate miners to a new generation, Disney is re-releasing the “Avatar ” original on September 1. 23, complete with updated sound and special effects.
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The original “Avatar” was released on December 18, 2009 by 20th Century Fox and became a global 3D sensation grossing $2.8 billion worldwide and becoming the highest grossing Hollywood film of all time. . Cameron has been in New Zealand for the past few years, focused on crafting a total of four sequels to the seminal sensation, due for release every two years until 2028.
Disney dropped the nostalgic news of the “Avatar” re-release at the annual CinemaCon event in late April. Designed to remind fans young and old of the dreamlike setting and dynamic lead characters of the groundbreaking film, this revamped special edition will feature newly remastered picture and audio quality to bring it up to today’s exacting digital standards.
Because Disney bought 20th Century Fox in 2019 for $71 billion, “Avatar” will also swap Fox’s old logo with the official House of Mouse branding. The film will likely be offered in both 2D and 3D formats, though exact plans have yet to be finalized.
“Avatar: The Way of Water” wrapped filming in September 2020. Set a decade after the first film, the long-awaited sequel follows Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and their children in a story that takes place in Pandora’s Metkayina Aqueous Reef Region.
Disney will relaunch “Avatar” starting on September 23. Its direct sequel, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” hits theaters on December 16. For more space movies, check out our full list of upcoming sci-fi movies.
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