Buckle up (again), because James Cameron’s 2009 film Avatar is coming back to theaters. The sci-fi phenomenon is returning to the big screen on September 23rd, now in 4K High Dynamic Range (that’s four times the pixel amount of HD). Along with today’s news also comes an updated trailer, which you can watch below.
Avatar was the highest-grossing film of all time until Avengers: Endgame dethroned it in 2019. A 2021 reissue in China bumped Avatar back up to its No. 1 spot, however, and we’ll bet this re-release will further cement its status.
Upon its original release, Avatar nabbed nine Academy Awards nominations — including for Best Picture and Best Director — and wound up taking home the trophies for Best Cinematography, Production Design, and Visual Effects. It stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sigourney Weaver, and follows a 22nd-century mining colony on the moon of Pandora whose efforts threaten local tribe of Na’vi.
Sure, Avatar’s attempted commentary on geopolitical issues had its fair share of shortcomings — for one, why did it take a white guy posing as a blue-skinned alien for him to finally realize that maybe colonization is bad, actually? — but at least it’s pretty! And now, we have the great opportunity to witness all the magical special effects and covert racist stereotypes where they belong: On the big screen raking in more cash. Check out the new trailer for the Avatar re-release below.
The re-release of Avatar arrives ahead of the first of four planned sequel films: Avatar: The Way of Water is due in US theaters December 16th.