When the first Avatar movie skyrocketed to become the biggest cinematic hit of all time, taking a stellar $2.924 billion at the box office, fans everywhere felt certain that there would soon be an Avatar sequel in the works.
James Cameron's immersive masterpiece carried viewers to a lush alien world and struck a timely chord with themes of belonging, technological advancements, and reverence for the natural world. We were certainly all chomping at the bit for that epic Avatar high to continue, but as it turns out, our own species wasn't yet advanced enough to bring Cameron's vision for Avatar 2 to life.
Roll forward thirteen years and all the necessary moving parts have finally converged, so when is Avatar 2 finally coming out? Well, the Avatar 2 trailer dropped earlier this year and the full movie release date is set for December 16th, making this a very special festive season indeed for die-hard followers of the franchise.
Of course, connoisseurs of all things related to the Avatar movies have been patiently waiting for another hotly anticipated release, too. Swirling attention around the long-teased and tightly guarded Funko Avatar Pop! Vinyl Figures has reached near mythic proportions. We couldn't be more excited to share that World of Kidz has got you covered for pre-order. Read on to learn more about all things Avatar: The Way of Water and oh-so-much more!
The Long-Awaited Arrival of Avatar 2: The Way of Water
The Avatar movie 2 will allow us to return to Pandora and reunite with the Na'vi, where Jake Sully, played by Sam Worthington, has now formed a family with princess Neytiri, played by Zoe Saldana. Once again, we will encounter the idea of an Avatar; a scientifically created human-Na'vi hybrid form that can be controlled by human minds, allowing free movement through the otherwise poisonous Pandora environment.
This time, however, we're taking a deep dive into the unexplored oceans of Pandora—and this twist in the Avatar 2 tale explains at least in part why Avatar sequel took so long to realise. However, before we plunge into those particular details, there is yet more exciting news to discuss.
You see, not only is Avatar 2 on the horizon but there are no fewer than three further Avatar movies in the making, with releases set for 2024, 2026, and 2028. In fact, speaking to Empire, James Cameron likened the Avatar sequel saga to the Lord of the Rings, so it feels safe to say that the best is yet to come!
Sticking with what's directly ahead, a quick peek at the Avatar 2 IMDB page confirms that original all-star cast members Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthington, and Zoe Saldana will be joined by huge names such as Michelle Yeoh and Kate Winslet. This marks a thrilling reconciliation for Winslet and Cameron—the first since mega-hit Titanic—manifesting a “deeply loyal and fearless” character, according to Winslet.
Why Has the Wait for Avatar 2 Been So Long?
If the Avatar 2 official trailer is anything to go by, these new characters and Cameron's underwater worlds are going to blow our minds. But what exactly was the holdup? Amazingly, when it comes to Avatar, the director is pretty used to having to be patient. He originally dreamed up the concept for the movie franchise back in the 1990s but had to bide his time until the kind of motion capture and CGI capabilities he needed were available.
Taking his time between sequels has served Cameron well over the years, with follow-ups for the Alien and Terminator franchises both taking seven years to land. As he explained to NYT, “I was a little concerned that I had stretched the tether too far, in our fast-paced, modern world, with ‘Avatar 2’ coming in 12 years later. Right until we dropped the teaser trailer, and we got 148 million views in 24 hours.” Now, that's traction!
Will Avatar 2 Be Worth the Wait?
Cameron is never one to do things by half, and so it came as no surprise when Forbes divulged that the Avatar 2 budget tops its predecessor, coming in at $250 million. In fact, each Avatar sequel has been allocated the same spend, taking the whole four-movie vision to a whopping $1 billion in production value.
Avatar 2 is bound to reveal the savviness of such a gargantuan investment and on that note, Zoe Saldana's viewing of a 20-minute clip of the completed movie provides a positive outlook. When on the Twitter-sphere interview circuit for her recent Netflix film The Adam Project, she shared, "I was speechless...I was moved to tears."
Whether the Avatar 2 character you relate to the most is Neytiri or Jake, don't forget to make an early claim on a Pop! Vinyl Figure of your favourite from Funko.
Although, we'd be amiss if we didn't also recognise that some just love rooting for the bad guy. Stephen Land will be reviving his role as the villain not only for Avatar 2 but for the remainder of the franchise, and there's a Funko Miles Quaritch figure on the way too for those among our readers who lean toward the darker side!
Before we wrap up this deep dive and resurface, we can turn once again to the maestro of cinema for a final thought on why the Avatar movies touch so many viewers. Speaking to USA Today, James Cameron shared that “Avatar is about finding our home, finding our family, finding our clan.”
We couldn't agree more, and if you'd like to become a part of the World of Kidz clan too, we invite you to sign up for email updates on future Avatar releases and so much more besides. What most excites you about the upcoming Avatar movies? Remember, our inbox is always open!