James Cameron’s sci-fi blockbuster Avatar was an historic success. It shattered global box office sales to earn the all-time record, a title it held for ten years until Avengers: Endgame barely bested it in 2019. Yet the only thing anyone ever seems to mention about Avatar is how no one ever talks about Avatar. The film feels like a forgotten part of pop culture’s past.
That doesn’t change the fact that lots (and lots and lots) of people around the world went to see it though, and it doesn’t change that it looked absolutely stunning. The bioluminescent world of Pandora was wholly immersive. And now, gorgeous new concept art for Avatar 2 promises that the first return trip to the home of the Na’vi remains one of the franchise’s greatest selling points. Especially since we’ll be visiting all new locales there.
In the #Avatar sequels, you won’t just return to Pandora — you’ll explore new parts of the world.
Check out these brand new concept art pieces for a sneak peek at what’s to come. pic.twitter.com/bfZPWVa7XZ
— Avatar (@officialavatar) January 7, 2020
Cameron shared four new illustrations of Pandora for Avatar 2 at this year’s CES that have now been officially released by Fox. They look like the greatest and most alluring travel brochure photos we’ve ever seen. The first features what appears to be Sam Worthington’s Jake in his Na’vi body standing with Zoe Saldana’s Neytiri. The two are looking out on a beautiful bay as the sun sits low in the sky.
20th Century Fox
The second shows Na’vi at night as they hunt and traverse beautiful glowing, multi-colored formations along the shore. A mountain rises above them to the left, and the night sky to the right is filled with other worlds. It’s dominated by the gas giant Polyphemus.
20th Century Fox
The third image features a fleet of Na’vi riding Mountain Banshees. They are barely above the water as they fly into a thicket of trees that stand in front of a mountain range.
20th Century Fox
The fourth image shows off the fallen Death Sta….no, wait, sorry. Wrong sci-fi franchise. It’s actually a circular rock formation with layers of unfinished rings. It looks like a broken portal to another dimension, or an elaborate and forgotten throne. Floating mountains surround the scene, which also takes place near water. Two Na’vi, which also look like Jake and Neytiri, sit upon creatures in the water. Those Loch Ness monster-like animals appear to be entirely new creatures we didn’t meet our first time in Pandora.
20th Century Fox
One thing we don’t expect to see in the movie though is this concept car based on Pandora’s aesthetic.
Discover the @MercedesBenz #VISIONAVTR concept car inspired by the upcoming films. pic.twitter.com/6bHbmYUFAg
— 20th Century Fox (@20thcenturyfox) January 7, 2020
Maybe they’ll save that for Avatar 3.
These images don’t seem to give away much in the way of plot, buy they do indicate the next film will move out of the jungle and to the sea. And that’s great news, because we’re excited to visit other parts of Pandora. People might not talk about Avatar that much, but no one forgets how beautiful that world was.
Avatar 2 comes to theaters December 17, 2021. It will once again star Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, and Joel David Moore. Vin Diesel, Kate Winslet, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, and Michelle Yeoh will also join the cast.
Featured Image: 20th Century Fox
