Avatar: The Way of Water trailer brings us closer to a mighty heartbeat - Ars Technica

James Cameron's Avatar: The Way of Water has an authoritative trailer.

Director James Cameron has spent much than a decennary making the archetypal of a planned 4 sequels to his 2009 blockbuster movie Avatar. We got our archetypal peek astatine the archetypal of those sequels, Avatar: The Way of Water, in May with a brief, visually stunning teaser that showcased Cameron's undisputed accomplishment astatine world-building. Yet contempt enthusiasm for the visuals, the wide effect was reasonably muted. Perhaps much assemblage excitement for the upcoming movie volition look present that we person the afloat authoritative trailer.

As we've reported previously, Cameron wrote a attraction for Avatar way backmost successful 1994, and it was expected to beryllium the director's adjacent large task aft helium wrapped his blockbuster Titanic. But Cameron realized the exertion did not yet beryllium to marque the movie helium envisioned. He spent respective years moving to make what helium needed, including a cutting-edge virtual camera strategy to nonstop the motion-capture scenes. (He compared it to "a big, almighty crippled engine.")

The finished movie acceptable caller container bureau records upon its release; it was the highest-grossing movie until Avengers: Endgame concisely took the apical spot successful 2019. (A March 2021 Chinese rerelease enactment Avatar backmost connected top.) Critics were mostly positive, praising the technological achievements, though immoderate pointed retired that the storytelling suffered. Cameron besides consulted with aggregate scientists portion designing the satellite of Pandora (a satellite orbiting a state elephantine exoplanet called Polyphemus successful the Alpha Centauri A system). Avatar was nominated for 9 Oscars, yet winning Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects.

Even earlier Avatar's release, Cameron expressed his anticipation of making 2 sequels, widening the story's scope to see different moons of Polyphemus. The archetypal would diagnostic Pandora's water and impact shooting footage astatine the bottommost of the Mariana Trench with a deepwater submersible. But erstwhile again, helium needed exertion that didn't beryllium yet—namely, for filming question seizure scenes underwater.

Enlarge / Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) passing immoderate utile skills down to his offspring

YouTube/20th Century Studios

Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana are reprising their roles arsenic Jake Sully and Neytiri, respectively. Jake decided to meld with his avatar permanently astatine the extremity of the archetypal movie truthful helium could beryllium with Neytiri and commencement a household connected Pandora. Per the authoritative synopsis: "Set much than a decennary aft the events of the archetypal film, Avatar: The Way of Water begins to archer the communicative of the Sully household (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the occupation that follows them, the lengths they spell to support each different safe, the battles they combat to enactment alive, and the tragedies they endure."

Jamie Flatters, Britain Dalton, and Trinity Bliss play the pair's 3 children (Neteyam, Lo-ak, and Tuk), portion Jack Champion plays a teen named Spider, who was calved connected the quality basal and is rescued and adopted by the couple. Sigourney Weaver (Dr. Grace Augustine), Stephen Lang (Colonel Miles Quaritch), and Matt Gerald (Corporal Lyle Wainfleet) volition besides beryllium returning, contempt each 3 of their characters having died successful the original. And CCH Pounder returns arsenic Mo'at, Neytiri's parent and the Omaticaya clan's spiritual leader.

This caller trailer doesn't springiness america overmuch much successful the mode of crippled specifics, but Cameron has ever known however to archer a compelling story. We bash cognize that the Sully clan volition beryllium forced to permission their location erstwhile humans disturbance up occupation again connected Pandora. That leads them to question refuge with an underwater people of Na'vi, who are initially reluctant to judge the newcomers, lest they bring "their war" to this different tribe. The trailer shows the Scully household adjusting to their caller environs contempt immoderate hostility astatine being "outcasts." But different clash with humans is inevitable.

Avatar: The Way of Water hits theaters connected December 16, 2022. Avatar 3 (filmed simultaneously with The Way of Water) is scheduled for a December 20, 2024 release.

Listing representation by YouTube/20th Century Studios