It has been almost 13 long years since James Cameron first released Avatar. The first film has been considered to be one of the best films of the 20th century and at times has been regarded as one of the best of all time. Director Cameron is now back at the helm to deliver an immersive experience that brings viewers back into the immersive world of Pandora as the trailer for its sequel, Avatar: The Way of the Water dropped right before Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness film starts.
During its theatrical run, the first Avatar film broke several box office records and became the highest-grossing film at the time surpassing Cameron’s previous work on Titanic, which had held those records for twelve years. Avatar remained the highest-grossing film worldwide for nearly a decade until it was overtaken by Avengers: Endgame in 2019, but then it eventually retook the top spot in March 2021. After the necessary adjustments for inflation, Avatar is still currently the second highest-grossing movie of all time after Gone with the Wind with a total of more than $3 billion. Avatar was also nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and won three, for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects.
The success of the first film also pioneered advancements in visual animation and editing which subsequently led to electronics manufacturers releasing 3D televisions and caused 3D films to increase in popularity. All of these accolades in turn put a heavy burden on the shoulders of Avatar: Way of the Water and James Cameron. It has been more than a decade since the first film dropped and the gap may prove to be too intimidating as fans may have lost interest by now. It’s also important to note that a new generation has risen in between the two film’s release dates which may cause a problem as well. Disney and James Cameron don’t necessarily see this as a problem as the trailer’s release points to a very tightly knitted film which perfectly explains all the delays and pushbacks.
Avatar: The Way of the Water Trailer: Initial Thoughts
The trailer admittedly poses a lot of promise, continuity, and consistency. It is very dramatic with how it presents the upcoming film while not giving away too much. It does however showcase the further advancements in technology as well as the ability to take what works from the first film, integrating that with the sequel but at the same time finding ways to make them even better. There’s nothing much we can get from this single trailer alone except for the increased grandeur that the film provides. The immersive world seems to have gotten bigger, brighter, and altogether just better than before. The elements that we do get to see and hear from this one and a half minute trailer point to again consistency and innovation.
It has been confirmed that Avatar: The Way of the Water will not only have the return of James Cameron as the director but actors and actresses Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña will return as Jake Sully and Neytiri respectively. As of writing, there haven’t been many details that have been divulged regarding the film’s plot but 20th Century Fox has given a brief statement on the movie’s premise.
According to the studio, Avatar: The Way of the Water is “set more than a decade after the events of the first film as it begins to tell the story of the Sully family, 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.”
However vague that premise may be, it sure does provide both mystery and excitement as to what all of these will mean for the story and the characters.
As mentioned, Avatar: The Way of the Water is just the very tip of what Cameron has in store for the universe. Currently, there are already three more films in the works after Avatar: The Way of the Water which is set to be released in two-year intervals — 2024, 2026, and 2028. As for The Way of the Water, it was initially scheduled for a theatrical release as far back as 2020 but has now been set for a December 2022 release date. Furthermore, the world-building for Avatar and Pandora doesn’t end there as Avatar-themed attractions and lands at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts worldwide opened at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Florida back on May 27, 2017, which is referred to as Pandora — The World of Avatar.
All of these point to the bigger plans at hand which are just continuing to unfold before our very eyes. For more news on Avatar continue to follow us at ThisIsHype.Ph as we cover these updates as they unfold.
