Many exhausting conversations pop up every few weeks on social media. But the most tedious is the one about how “no one ever talks about Avatar.” Is it true? Obviously not, since no one ever stops talking about it. But more importantly, who cares! The film made roughly 80 gazillion dollars at the box office. Clearly, lots of people cared about it. And whether you can “name a character” or not doesn’t change the fact that, visually, it’s a cinematic classic. But the good news is soon, we won’t have to worry about discussions of Avatar‘s lasting cultural impact. Director James Cameron is finally bringing viewers back to Pandora. And the new trailer for Avatar: The Way of Water is a reminder of why the first movie was a phenomenon. That distant planet looks just as stunning as ever.
Who’s up for an intimate story of self-discovery and finding your place in the world set alongside a big-budget allegory about oceanic pollution? Okay, now, who just wants to see some amazing special effects on a gorgeous alien planet of wonder that lets them escape Earth for a couple of hours? No matter which group you’re in, it looks like Cameron is giving you what you want in The Way of Water. But there’s more to this story than that. Here’s the Avatar: The Way of Water‘s official from Disney’s 20th Century Studios:
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, Avatar: The Way of Water begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
The long-simmering sequel to the highest grossing film of all-time also features a cast worthy of that statues. Avatar: The Way of Water stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jermaine Clement, and Kate Winslet.
Not that it’s a surprise, but we know from trailers, including the one above that dropped a few weeks ago, this movie will look amazing. Whether The Way of Water lives up to its predecessor’s box office success remains to be seen. But no matter how good it might be, it’s already a success in a way that truly matters. We can stop talking about how no one ever talks about the original.
Originally published on November 2, 2022.
