Avatar: The Way of Water is nearly ready for release after a 13-year gap between the initial film and the sequel. For many franchises, the wait would be too long to keep people's interest, a real fear for director James Cameron. However, if the recent Avatar re-release is any indication, the filmmaker's worries should be long gone.
In late August, Avatar officially received a re-release date and new trailer, displaying the upgraded 4K visuals with high dynamic range. The move would be a way to generate interest ahead of the long-awaited sequel while reminding audiences of the plot points that occur in the first movie. The re-release was a massive success and may have generated more money than Cameron anticipated. Over the weekend, Avatar reached $30 million in sales, debuting at the #1 spot at the box office.
These are truly unprecedented numbers for a film that was not only released 13 years ago but has seen several re-releases since then. This isn't the first time fans have revisited Pandora since the original debut in 2009; however, the upgraded visuals and interest in the sequel caused fans to come out in droves to the theater to relive the film, which currently holds the top spot in the highest grossing movies of all time list. Cameron is hoping for an astronomical turnout for Avatar: The Way of Water, arriving in theaters on Dec. 15, later this year.
James Cameron Thanks All the Fans Who Support Avatar
The Avatar re-release went about as well as anyone in the cast and crew could have hoped. Of course, Cameron expected fans to show up, but $30 million and the top spot at the box office is surpassing even his expectations. In a newly released video from his Twitter account, Cameron thanks all Avatar fans and teases what's to come in the next installment.
"Hi, Jim Cameron here. I wanted to thank all of the Avatar fans that came out to see the re-release of the film. Your incredible response to Pandora and the characters inhabiting it has inspired us to aim even higher. I've been hard at work continuing the story of Jake and Neytiri and expanding the world of Pandora to take you on an epic adventure to new places with incredible new characters. I look forward to December when you will be able to experience Avatar: The Way of Water exclusively in theaters."
The Avatar franchise is currently set to receive five films in total. So, of course, The Way of Water will need to see massive success with audiences and the box office if Cameron hopes to pull off the ambitious feat. Luckily, fans still seem interested in the world of Pandora, displayed by the success of the recent re-release. As a result, audiences will need to pack the theater weekend after weekend when Avatar: The Way of Water releases on Dec. 15. The full video released by James Cameron can be found below.