In 2009, the world was introduced to Pandora with the release of Avatar, and they loved it. But ever since our introduction to that world, 20th Century Fox has kept news of the sequel under lock and key. After years of silence, but promises that it was coming, the president of 20th Century Studios, Steve Asbell, has gone on record to say that Avatar 2 is going to leave viewers impressed. As Asbell tells THR:
“It’s going to blow people away. You’re not ready for what Jim is doing.”
Avatar tells us the story of Jake (Sam Worthington), a marine who is assisting a company that is mining the moon Pandora for a precious mineral known as unobtanium. The problem is that a nearby tribe of the indigenous Na’vi are keeping the company from expanding the mines. So Jake is tasked with controlling a genetically engineered Na’vi body known as an Avatar to interact and ultimately convince the tribe to co-operate with the company. But the more Jake learns about the Na’vi and their culture, along with getting closer to Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) the more sinister the company starts to look in his eyes. Soon, a revolution starts and Jake finds himself faced with an ultimatum, defending his old people, or the new people that embraced him?
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Avatar was, undoubtedly, a massive box office success. The film broke extensive ground in the world of digital special effects that were achieved by Weta Digital. Audiences were blown away by the lush, colorful world of Pandora, especially on the big screen and in 3D. This helped the film to climb, breaking several box office records during its initial theatrical run. Eventually, it became the highest-grossing film of all time, surpassing Cameron’s previous mega-blockbuster Titanic. The film held that title until it was ultimately beaten out by 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.
Related: Avatar 2: Cast, Plot, Release Date, and Everything Else We Know
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20th Century Fox
Because of the film’s success, 20th Century Fox was eager to sign with Cameron for four more sequels. But as the years passed, audiences found themselves scratching their heads over the silence. Cameron himself has reassured the public that the sequels are still very much underway, even after 13 years. The sequel’s initial release was set for 2014, but with the need to update and develop new technology for certain underwater scenes, the release date was delayed. The pandemic has also been reported to have contributed to further delays. But as of now, the current release date of December 16, 2022 is still official.
Avatar 2 promises to bring back multiple cast members of the original film. Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña are set to reprise their roles as Jake and Neytiri. Stephen Lang will return as Colonel Miles Quaritch as well as Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge. Joel David Moore and Sigourney Weaver will also reprise their roles as xenoanthopologist Dr. Norm Spellman and Dr. Grace Augustine. The film will introduce Vin Diesel, Edie Falco, Michelle Yeoh, Jemaine Clement, Cliff Curtis, and Kate Winslet to the cast.
Avatar 2 coming out so late after the first film is going to be a gamble in and of itself. With so many years having passed since the first movie was so successful, many fans have begun looking at the initial film with a more critical eye. The majority of public opinion, at least at a glance, appears to be “the best part is the alien world”. Despite knowing so little about the movie’s plot (other than it involves Jake and Neytiri’s family and having old enemies re-entering their lives), the idea of a new setting on Pandora and the introduction of a new tribe of Na’vi seems like a wise direction to lean towards. With spring already around the corner, hopefully we’ll see more of this long-awaited sequel.
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About The Author
Caroline Miller
(82 Articles Published)
Caroline is a longtime admirer of film, music and the arts. She’s been giving movie opinions online (warranted or not) for over a decade, and putting those thoughts to Movieweb since early 2021.
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