The official title for the upcoming sci-fi sequel Avatar 2 has finally been revealed. During a panel at the ongoing CinemaCon 2022, it was revealed that the long, long-awaited Avatar follow-up will be titled Avatar: The Way of Water. Due for theatrical release at the end of this year, it has also now been confirmed that the first trailer for Avatar: The Way of Water will debut exclusively before showings of the Marvel outing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
The official title for Avatar 2 was unveiled at CinemaCon alongside some exclusive footage from the movie, which will once again be written and directed by seminal blockbuster filmmaker James Cameron. While the title does not give away too much, Avatar: The Way of Water does confirm what we already knew; that the sequel will delve into the watery depths of Pandora. “We need to make sure [audiences] have an experience they can’t get anywhere else, and that needs to be exclusively in theaters,” producer Jon Landau said.
The footage shown at the event reportedly took lead characters Jake and Neytiri into the briny deep, introducing new whale-like beasts and offering lucky viewers a 3D glimpse at more of the mysterious alien planet. Avatar: The Way of Water will pick up with Jake and Neytiri more than a decade after the events of the first Avatar movie, and begins to tell the story of the Sully family, the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
Avatar: The Way of Water Will be the First of Several Sequels Focusing on Jake’s Family
As well as exploring Pandora’s underwater world, Avatar: The Way of Water will introduce audiences to Jake and Neytiri’s new family. This will include several native Na’vi children, Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), and Tuktirey (Trinity Bliss), as well as the human child Miles Socorro, also known as Spider, played by The Night Sitter star Jack Champion. Spider is taken into the brood of Avatar heroes Jake and Neytiri after being born at the now-abandoned military base on Pandora. Too young to be returned to Earth, Jake decides to take the child in as one of their own, much to the chagrin of Neytiri.
The plan is to have as many as five Avatar movies hit the big screen over the next few years, and producer Jon Landau revealed at CinemaCon 2022 that all of them will focus on Jake, Neytiri, and their family. Landau described each Avatar installment as a stand-alone adventure that “together are an even greater connected epic saga.”
Directed by James Cameron, Avatar: The Way of Water sees cast members Sam Worthington, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, Dileep Rao, CCH Pounder, and Matt Gerald all reprise their roles from the original movie alongside Zoe Saldaña, with Sigourney Weaver returning in a different, mysterious role. The sequel will also add the likes of Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Jemaine Clement, Oona Chaplin, Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, and CJ Jones.
Avatar: The Way of Water is scheduled to be released on December 16, 2022. Meanwhile, the first Avatar will be re-released in cinemas worldwide on September 23.