After more than a decade of broken promises and production delays, audiences’ first look at “Avatar 2″ is finally here.
Disney’s 20th Century Studios released a teaser trailer Monday for “Avatar: The Way of Water,” the long-anticipated sequel to director James Cameron’s motion-capture blockbuster starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver.
The brief preview is a triumphant return to the lush and vibrant world of Pandora, characterized by healthy ecosystems, majestic creatures, floating islands and thriving Indigenous communities.
According to the studio, “The Way of Water” takes place more than 10 years after Marine veteran Jake Sully (Worthington) fell in love with Na’vi princess Neytiri (Saldana), became an avatar and relocated permanently from Earth to Pandora. Now, Jake and Neytiri must protect their family and home from dangerous forces threatening their way of life.
Rounding out the main cast of the sequel are Michelle Yeoh, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement and Kate Winslet.
“I know one thing,” Jake says at the end of the teaser. “Wherever we go, this family is our fortress.”
When “Avatar” opened in 2009, it set a global box office record of $2.79 billion that went uncontested until “Avengers: Endgame” surpassed it in 2019. The same year “Avatar” hit theaters, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States, Facebook launched “Farmville,” Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift’s Grammy acceptance speech and the writer of this story turned 13 years old.
All that to say: It’s been a minute and a half since the first “Avatar” dazzled moviegoers with its world-building and cutting-edge CGI. And fans have long been ready for the next chapter.
“I remember seeing the first one in theaters 8 TIMES,” tweeted one person. “The most I’ve ever seen any movie in a theater. I wanted to be in that world so bad[.] Been waiting a long time for this one and it looks so beautiful.”
“13 freaking years and it’s finally here…!!!” wrote another.
However, not everyone was impressed with the preview or excited about another round of “Avatar”-mania.
One person mused that the forthcoming film “just looks like a national geographic documentary of the blue tall people,” while another remarked that it’s “wild how much the Sci-Fi and Fantasy genres include cultural aesthetics from indigenous cultures around the world but rarely if ever actually include indigenous folks in their projects.”
Like it or not, Cameron has vowed to release not just one, but four “Avatar” sequels in the coming years — though the franchise timeline has been repeatedly pushed back. (“Avatar 2″ was originally set to be released in 2014.)
Before “The Way of Water” splashes into cinemas this December, 20th Century Studios will rerelease “Avatar” in theaters on Sept. 23.
See more reactions to the teaser trailer below.