In 2009, Avatar well and truly took over the world. For months all you could hear about was the unrivalled scope, incredible animation and immersive experience of the fantasy epic – and for good reason, at the time it felt groundbreaking. That was over a decade ago though, and director James Cameron has been talking about the sequels (yes, all four of them) consistently since, production on Avatar 2 ended in November 2019.
As we all get ready to go back to Pandora for the next instalment – here’s everything you can expect to see in Avatar 2.
Latest updates
- The first full-length trailer has now been released
- The film has unveiled its official poster, along with brand-new images
What is the release date for Avatar 2?
The film is set to be released in cinemas on December 22, 2022.
Why has it taken so long?
Anyone who has tracked the production will know that the follow-up to 2009’s epic has been troubled to say the least.
In 2006 Cameron said that he had intentions to create a franchise around the film if it was successful – and $2billion later, he confirmed that sequels were in the work in 2010.
Since though, there’s been several push-backs and hiccups along the way. At one point the film was due out in December 2014, and has since been pencilled in for several different release dates for it only to be continually pushed back.
Most of this has come down to production hurdles as well as the expansion of the franchise. Originally slated to become a trilogy, two extra films were added to the schedule, bringing the total to five. Namely, Cameron has insisted that he wanted to finish planning and writing every instalment in the franchise, and now that Avatar 5’s script is finally completed – production on number two can begin.
Where will it be filmed?
The film was shot in New Zealand – but has come at a steep price. The film studio had to commit to over $500million in costs and agree to host a world premiere in Wellington, New Zealand as dictated by the government.
What is the title of Avatar 2?
The long awaited sequel was finally given the name Avatar: The Way Of Water, 13 years after the release of the first film at CinemaCon in Las Vegas
When can we expect the first official trailer for Avatar 2?
The first full-length trailer has finally arrived – you can watch it below.
The two-and-a-half-minute clip welcomes fans back to the alien planet of Pandora, as well reintroducing the returning Na’vi characters played by Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana.
Prior to this, a short teaser was previously released at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, where spectators were given 3D glasses for a clip which contained almost no dialogue and saw viewers immersed in different regions across the world of Pandora.
The footage also showed the local tribe of Na’vi interacting with various species resembling whales and pelicans, some of which flew through the screen and into audience member’s faces thanks to the three-dimensional technology.
Cameron appeared in a pre-recorded video to tell viewers the sequel is “designed for the biggest screen and the most immersive 3D available,” adding that he “set out to test the limits of what cinema can do.”
In addition to the newly released trailer, the film has now also unveiled its official poster, along with a couple of brand-new images.
Check out some of the new images below.
Who is in Avatar 2?
Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña who played Jake Sully and Neytiri in the first will return for the sequel. Sigourney Weaver is also set to be involved with the new film – despite conflicting messages from Cameron and Weaver. Cameron had previously suggested that Grace Augustine (Weaver) would be back in the films, despite her death, but in 2015 Weaver insisted that she’ll be involved but as a new character.
Cameron also confirmed that Stephen Lang (Colonel Miles Quaritch) shall be in the film too, despite his character’s death. It’s all very confusing, but hey, everything about this film is.
What else do we know about the plot?
Cameron has been fairly guarded about the plot for the film thus far, despite telling all elsewhere. He has confirmed that the humans will serve as the antagonists again and that the film will focus more on the oceans of Pandora and the rainforest. In future instalments, the other moons of Polyphemus will be explored.
Producer Jon Landau has revealed that one of the central themes in Avatar 2 is family. “If you look at what Jim does in his movies, he writes in universal themes that are bigger than the genre of any one movie,” he told Empire in December 2021.
“This time around, we’re taking Jake and Neytiri and building the most universal theme of all around them. Which is family. Jake comes from the human world, Neytiri from the Na’vi world. So, they’re like a modern mixed-race couple, raising kids who perhaps feel they don’t belong to one world or another.”
He also said of new character Spider: “Jake took him in but Neytiri always saw him as one of the people who destroyed her home and killed her father; so you have all these dynamics playing out.”
We’ll update you on Avatar 2 right here as more information is revealed so bookmark this page if you’re a fan.