James Cameron's Avatar: The Way of Water is finally coming to theaters, and here's what you need to know about the Avatar sequel, including the Avatar 2 release date and what's known about its plot. Cameron smashed his own box office record with 2009's Avatar, which replaced Titanic as the highest-grossing movie of all time as it went on to make over $2.7 billion worldwide, holding its crown until 2019's Avengers: Endgame. Now the director is out to beat it once again, with several Avatar sequels in the works. Avatar itself had a fairly self-contained story, with the human threat defeated and Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) permanently transferred into his avatar body, allowing him to remain with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and the other Na'vi on Pandora. It gave closure to Jake and Neytiri's arcs, but Avatar's world-building meant that there was always more story potential for future stories set within James Cameron's Pandora and its world.
Talk of Avatar 2 has been happening since the first movie released over a decade ago. Progress on Avatar: The Way of Water has been slow many reasons, including waiting on the development of new technology. Cameron aims to once again massively push advancements, promising that Avatar 2 will deliver an unparalleled visual spectacle. The film is finally happening though, so here's what to know about Avatar 2/Avatar: The Way of Water, including story details, characters, and when it's set to release in theaters.
Avatar 2 Is Happening (Along With 3 Other Sequels)
Director James Cameron is diligently working on four Avatar sequels in total. Avatar 2 wrapped filming in September 2020 and will be followed by Avatar 3, with the two filmed back-to-back. While plans could feasibly change slightly if the movies aren't big successes, Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 are already planned to happen. The final two Avatar sequels could still be delayed, depending on how things ultimately pan out for Avatar: The Way of Water. Cameron reportedly knows the story he wants to tell though, so unless Avatar 2 or Avatar 3 underperforms so drastically he has to make changes, chances are the franchise will remain on schedule.
Avatar 2 Release Date
The Avatar sequels have been delayed several times, with Avatar 2 first touted for a 2014 release before it was pushed back time and again to allow for the development of the other sequels, new technology, and Coronavirus-related delays. At long last though it's confirmed that the Avatar: The Way of Water release date is December 16, 2022. It'll be followed by Avatar 3 on December 20, 2024, Avatar 4 on December 18, 2026, and finally Avatar 5 on December 22, 2028, giving the franchise a hold on the Christmas market throughout the next decade.
Avatar 2 Cast
Most of the cast from Avatar will return in Avatar 2, with the sequel once again set to be led by Sam Worthington's Jake and Zoe Saldana's Neytiri, while CCH Pounder will be back as Mo'rat, Neytiri's mother. On the human front, Giovanni Ribisi will reprise his role as Parker Selfridge, and Joel David Moore will once again play Dr. Norm Spellman. Perhaps most intriguingly in terms of familiar faces returning are Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang. Weaver is confirmed to return as Kiri, the adoptive daughter of Jake and Neytiri. Meanwhile, Lang's Colonel Miles Quaritch has posthumously returned thanks to a technology that implants the consciousness of a fallen soldier into a Na'vi shell.
As for new additions to the Avatar 2 cast. Kate Winslet will reunite with James Cameron to play a Na'vi called Ronal, Edie Falco plays General Ardmore of the RDA, Jermaine Clement will appear as a marine biologist, and Jack Champion will play a human born on Pandora. Cliff Curtis, Oona Chaplin, Jamie Flatters, Trinity Bliss, Britain Dalton and various others will be appearing as Na'vi from across the many tribes of Pandora. Vin Diesel has also been cast in a mystery role. Meanwhile, Michelle Yeoh will play human scientist Dr. Karina Mogue, and Avatar: The Way of Water has an extensive ensemble cast filled with new and familiar faces.
Avatar 2 Story Details
Story details for Avatar 2 are still under wraps, but it will take place several years after Avatar, following Jake and Neytiri and their family. In Avatar 2, Jake and Neytiri will have three Na'vi children — Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), and Tuktirey (Trinity Bliss). Their fourth child, Miles (who goes by Spider, and is played by Jack Champion), is a human adopted by Jake and Neytiri in Avatar 2. Spider's inclusion will cause some tension in the family dynamics, which will largely stem from Neytiri's dislike and distrust of humans and what they stand for. In addition, the Avatar 2 trailer shows that some Na'vi are working with the Resource Development Administration — Avatar's villains — since the RDA has continued developing the Avatar program. What's more, the RDA is now able to use the Na'vi Avatars to bring back fallen soldiers, including the villainous Colonel Miles Quaritch.
When Jake and Neytiri's home is once again threatened they'll be forced to leave it behind and explore more of Pandora than before, harnessing the cutting-edge underwater mo-cap technology Cameron has developed for the aptly titled Avatar: The Way of Water. Jake and Neytiri will encounter various different groups of Na'vi, most notably an ocean-based group led by Tonowari (the Na'vi played by Cliff Curtis). How Sigourney Weaver's Kiri and Kate Winslet's Ronal factor into the plot isn't fully known. Neither is full story of Miles, although it can be assumed he's an important character since he's one of the few humans to appear in the Avatar 2 trailer.
The Avatar Trailers Have Already Breathed New Life Into The Franchise
The longer fans of Avatar waited, the more it felt like Avatar: The Way of Water would be forever stuck in development hell. Their worries were put to rest when the Avatar 2 trailer was released, however. Avatar: The Way of Water already looks incredible, both visually and in how it pushes the scale of the first Avatar to continue the saga of Pandora and the Na'vi. The stunning images in the Avatar 2 trailer aren't that surprising — there's never been any doubt that Avatar's beautiful CGI would only improve in the sequel. However, what's truly promising is how Avatar 2 will dig even deeper into impact of human expansion that forever changed the Na'vi and Pandora itself. Avatar 2 promises a step up from the classic good-vs-evil formula that Cameron perfected in the first movie, exploring the neo-colonial subtext of the RDA's presence on Pandora more explicitly. It's also notable how Disney and James Cameron have more realistic box office expectations this time around, with a much lower projection than for the first Avatar, even adjusting for inflation. This implies they're aiming not just to break box office records, but to create an endearing movie that delivers on the decade-plus wait.
Avatar 2 has big shoes to fill having been teased for 10 years without so much as a set photo. Naturally, there have been doubts that Avatar 2 would even happen. Now, with the RDA and Na'vi working together in the Avatar 2 trailer, Jake and Neytiri's family, and Pandora's future becoming uncertain once again, there's clearly more than enough material for the franchise to push through. Until perhaps even as recently as 2020, Avatar was on almost nobody's list of possible Disney tent pole franchises. Unless Avatar 2/Avatar: The Way of Water bombs spectacularly, the jaw-dropping trailer hints that James Cameron is about to put the Avatar detractors in their place.
