Disney delivered arguably the most anticipated moments of CinemaCon on Wednesday (April 27) with early footage from James Cameron’s 20th Century Studios tentpole Avatar 2 aka Avatar: The Way Of Water.
Producer Jon Landau took to the stage and said starting with The Way Of Water on December 16 each sequel to the highest grossing global release in history (2009 release, $2.847bn final box office) will play out in the coming years as stand-alone films while serving the overarching narrative of the five-film sci-fi fantasy saga.
Landau said Disney will re-release a remastered version of Avatar worldwide on September 23 as an appetiser leading up to the first sequel’s release on December 16. Avatar 3 is scheduled to open on December 20, 2024; Avatar 4 is set for December 18, 2026; and the concluding fifth instalment is scheduled for December 22, 2028.
Cameron sent a recorded message from Wellington, New Zealand, where he is in post. “We want the return to Pandora to be something really special,” he said, cueing up the 3D teaser trailer. “Every shot was designed for the biggest screen, the highest resolution, the most immersive experience possible.”
As previously announced Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang reprise their roles alongside franchise newcomer Kate Winslet in the ongoing adventures of the Sully family. The cast includes Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement and Giovanni Ribisi.
The first trailer for The Way Of Water will run exclusively in theatres with Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness starting on May 6.
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