Following the release of “Avatar” in December 2009, its long-awaited sequel, “Avatar: The Way of Water”, will be released on December 16, 2022. After 13 years of waiting, the sequel has a lot to live up to. When first released, the movie became the highest-grossing non-sequel, and the highest-grossing science fiction film ever made. It only took 39 days for the movie to surpass “Titanic”, making $1.86 billion in ticket sales within six weeks. 13 years later, “Avatar” still holds its spot as the highest-grossing movie ever.
The original movie follows Jake, a Marine, sent to Pandora on a mission, who then must choose between making the right choice or following his orders. The first “Avatar” movie not only had amazing visuals and advanced technology, but addressed important issues like the destruction of the environment and greed.
While old cast members such as Zoe Saldana as Neytiri, Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, Joel David Moore as Dr. Norm Spellman will return to the screen, new cast members will also be introduced. The most notable new addition to the cast is Kate Winslet, who starred in “Titanic.” She will play Ronal, a member of the Metkayina clan, who resides in Pandora’s oceans. Winslet’s character is expected to play a large role in the sequel.
Many were curious how director James Cameron would continue the storyline because not many loose ends were left at the end of the first movie. The second movie will continue to follow Jake and his life on Pandora with Neytiri. In an attempt to stay together, they will be forced to leave their home and explore Pandora. While the first movie followed the outside threat of humans, the second movie will depict internal threats on Pandora. Recent footage of the film implies that two different clans will have a dangerous conflict. By changing the focus from humans to internal conflicts on Pandora, Cameron offers an in-depth look into Pandora’s culture and avoids the problem of repeating the same conflicts shown in the first film.
The second film has been estimated to make around $649 million, which falls significantly short of the first movie, which made $2.922 billion. While the sequel is highly anticipated, it will not do as well as “Avatar”. Despite its predicted shortcomings, “Avatar: The Way of Water” will still probably deliver an unforgettable cinematic experience.