“Avatar: The Way of Water” Official Trailer Reveals James Cameron’s Return to Pandora
The new Avatar: The Way of Water official trailer goes deep. Stunning underwater shots, brilliant new creatures, and a sense of almost awe-inspiring beauty start the proceedings. Don’t worry, reader—danger is on the way.
James Cameron’s return trip to Pandora comes a full 13 years after his original Avatar, which went on to break records and break new ground in filmmaking technology. This new look at Avatar: The Way of Water offers a ton of new footage, and we’ve been waiting quite a while for it—the first trailer debuted back in May.
The trailer takes us to Pandora ten years after the events in Avatar, after the battle for the gorgeous alien planet ended on what seemed to be a positive note. Way of Water finds Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) living as a family on the oceanic wonderland, but a major threat looms. The trailer reveals just how much of Cameron’s sequel will be set both above and below the water, utilizing bespoke technology to capture novel shots, brand-new aquatic creatures, and some old favorites from the original, like the majestic flying Toruks.
Recently, producer Jon Landau told a crowd at the Busan International Film Festival that the filmmaking technology used in The Way of Water far exceeds what was on hand for the original Avatar, and that included a team of specialized VFX artists who created a brand new kind of underwater motion capture technology. Landau said that if Avatar was after creating effects that look photographic, the sequel is after photorealism.
Cameron, a longtime environmentalist and an oceanic explorer himself, has said that Way of Water was inspired by the increasingly dire threats to our besieged marine ecosystems. This follows Avatar‘s example, which showed the ruthless pursuit of profit as humans decimated Pandora’s forests. Cameron’s passion for conservation is the engine that has fueled this mega-franchise.
Returning alongside Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington from the original film are Sigourney Weaver as Dr. Grace Augustine and Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch. Two of the big-name newcomers include Vin Diesel and Kate Winslet.
Avatar: The Way of Water is due in theaters on December 16. Check out the trailer below:
For more on Avatar: The Way of Water, check out these stories:
“Avatar 2” Producer Jon Landau Shows Off 15 Minutes Of James Cameron’s Mega Sequel
James Cameron May Handoff Final “Avatar” Films to Another Director
The “Avatar: The Way of Water” Teaser Trailer Made a Huge Splash
Featured image: Zoe Saldana is Neytiri in “Avatar: The Way of Water.” Courtesy 20th Century Studios.
