Hollywood has given us countless movie franchises, but not all of them could achieve global appeal like James Cameron’s Avatar. The first movie, released in 2009, still holds the record of the highest-grossing movie. The first installment, Avatar, pulled in $2.845 billion worldwide, making the audience eager to see the second Avatar on big screens. Finally, the official title of Avatar 2 is revealed to the fans. Avatar 2: The Way of Water was unveiled along with stunning special footage and the first trailer at CinemaCon. The revelations have enormously ignited viewers’ anticipation, so everyone wants to know as much as possible about the upcoming Avatar installment.
So here we break down everything about the most-anticipated blockbuster to add to your enthusiasm for The Way of Water.
The expected release date:
Very few people know that the sequel was originally set to be released in 2015. Unfortunately, Avatar: The Way of Water had to suffer repetitive delays in the years following. The great merger of Fox and Disney in 2017 and, of course, the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic were some major situations that caused such a long delay. Luckily, James Cameron confirmed the wrap-up of Avatar 2 principal photography in September 2020. He also informed the awaiting fans that the series’ third installment was almost completed. By then, the release date for Avatar 2 had been set to December 16, 2022.
The man at the helm
The movie is self-evident of James Cameron’s passion for the project. Cameron spent years developing a high-end script and technological advancements to give his project the desired effect and aura. After years of effort, we cannot expect him to hand over the sequel of his passion project to someone else. So, Cameron has not taken the captain’s hat for The Way of Water. Apparently, we will see him at the helm in all the upcoming installments of the Avatar saga.
Recently he has hinted at some of his big plans for the technological side. He has talked about underwater performance capture and filming at higher frame rates. His plans indicate that we are about to see the next level of modern filmmaking in the upcoming sequel. Cameron is bent on showing the outstanding success of the first installment was not just a fluke. He certainly does not expect success to come automatically to his project just because the first one did well.
The men with pens
James Cameron co-Wrote the sequel with Josh Friedman. James Cameron was the only screenwriter credited for the original Avatar movie. However, he has brought in a team of collaborators to help him with the subsequent chapters. Josh Friedman, who co-wrote Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds and developed Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (TV series), was the first to sign on and is credited as co-screenwriters of Avatar: The Way of Water.
The Avatar sequels were originally written as one big, expanding being. The entire saga is said to be filmed together. However, each part will come as a standalone movie, not as four parts of a large story.
What we know about Avatar: The Way of Water is that the major plot detail tells us that it will focus on the oceans of Pandora. However, we have no details about the new characters.
The plot details
While promoting Cirque du Soleil’s live Avatar prequel Toruk in 2016, James Cameron suggested that the sequels, which were still in early development then, would be a family story. He hinted that the story would follow the adventures of Jake Sully and Neytiri. Jon Landau, the producer, echoed the same description in 2020 when he gave more details about Avatar: The Way of Water’s plot, well before the rumored title was officially confirmed.
Landau narrated that Jake and Neytiri would have to leave their home to explore Pandora’s other regions, particularly underwater ones. It is possible to speculate that they will meet the Metkayina, an aquatic Na’vi tribe, on their quest.
The Veteran cast
The plot suggests that Australian actor Sam Worthington will return for the sequel with MCU star Zoe Saldana. Reportedly, they have signed to reprise Jake Sully, human-turned-Na’vi, and his native-born lover Neytiri in Avatar’s subsequent sequels. Other veterans joining the second installment are Dileep Rao (Dr. Max Patel), Norm Spellman (Na’vi enthusiast), Joel David Moore (Jake’s human buddy), Giovanni Ribisi (RDA administrator Parker Selfridge), and CCH Pounder (Na’vi’s spiritual leader, Mo’at).
Another veteran actor whose return is highly surprising is Sigourney Weaver (late Dr. Grace Augustine). James Cameron’s Oscar-nominated Aliens star, Weaver, was previously claiming to star in a new character for the sequel. Reportedly Stephen Lang (Col. Miles Quaritch) is also back from dead in the sequel, despite receiving two arrows to the chest. Matt Gerald (Corporal Lyle Wainfleet), who was crushed by a hammerhead titanothere, will also revive in Avatar 2.
The New Cast
The big news is that the Academy Award Winner star cast of Titanic, Kate Winslet, joins Cameron’s crew as Ronal. Her character will be a new one in the Metkayina tribe. Cliff Curtis plays the tribe’s chief, Tonowari. Other newcomers are Oona Chaplin from Games of thrones. He plays Varang, whose crucial part in the movie is not revealed yet. According to Twitter, Jemaine Clement (Ian Garvin) and Michelle Yeoh (Karin Mogue) are playing human scientists. Edie Falco will appear as Gen. Ardmore, while Brendan Cowell plays Capt. Mike Scorseby from the RDA. Apparently, Guardians of the Galaxy co-star Zoe Saldana and Vin Diesel are also part of the cast, but their roles remain undisclosed.
Many young actors are also part of the Avatar 2 cast. These include Jamie Flatters, Britain Dalton, and Trinity Bliss, playing Jake and Neytiri’s children. In addition, Filip Geljo plays Tonowari’s son, Bailey Bass plays Tsireya the freediver, while Duane Evans Jr. Roxto plays the role of Javier.
The Technological Side of the Sequel
It is impossible to talk about Avatar without mentioning the technology involved. Weta Digital’s Academy Award-winning visual effects in the film’s first movie triggered a revolution in the movie industry. Its cutting-edge use of performance capture was a new way to make movies. The method is used again in Avatar: The Way of Water. However, the sequel is also exploring new territory with the technique.
James Cameron, his crew, and the cast submerged themselves underwater to film scenes that take place underwater. As per reports, Kate Winslet even pulled off the stunt of remaining submerged for seven minutes while she played Ronal. Cameron spoke to Vanity Fair about filming with the younger cast members in a large tank. They used sign language to communicate their dialogue, as they were unable to speak underwater.
Future Sequels
The good news is that there will be at least three more movies after Avatar 2. The third installment was picturized concurrently with Avatar 2. We expect to see it on screen in December 2023. At the same time, Avatar 4 and 5 are set to be released on December 16, 2026. And December 22, 2028, respectively.
Avatar’s huge success is not a secret, but like all other cinema hits, it also had its critics. However, it seems that those who still hold a special place for this action-packed, visually breathtaking sci-fi spectacle will be able to spend much of their time in Pandora over the next few years. The adventure continues with Avatar: The Way of Water.
