The first Avatar: The Way of Water trailer is officially released online. After spending years in development, the first sequel to James Cameron's massive 2009 blockbuster is right around the corner, with a December premiere scheduled. A director widely known for pushing the boundaries of moviemaking technology, Cameron's work on Avatar 2 has already garnered considerable attention as he takes audiences to the underwater worlds of Pandora, hoping to create a uniquely immersive experience. Cameron had to create new tech in order to film these scenes.
As such, there's been much interest in seeing what Cameron has in store, but Disney's been very deliberate with their trailer release strategy. The studio showed the first Avatar 2 footage during their CinemaCon 2022 presentation, screening it only for attendees. Next, the Avatar: The Way of Water trailer played exclusively in theaters, attached to screenings of Disney's summer tentpole, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Finally, the long-awaited preview has been released online.
20th Century Studios shared the trailer on their social media platforms. Check it out in the space below:
Unsurprisingly, Avatar 2 looks to be an astounding technical feat, with the film's state-of-the-art visual effects the main draw of the trailer. Pandora remains as stunning as ever to take in, and it will be exciting to see more of the world as Cameron takes viewers underwater. The environments are lush and vibrant, and should be a wonder to behold on the big screen. There's very little (if any) of the action beats Cameron is known for in the trailer. Instead, the preview takes a serene and peaceful approach, highlighting Pandora's beauty in the early stages of the marketing. But there are still hints of threats and danger, as evidenced by the shot of Jake with weapon in hand towards the end. As the promotional campaign revs up later in the year, there should be more looks at whatever set pieces Cameron came up with.
Even with this first footage, not much is known about the Avatar: The Way of Water story. It would appear "family" is going to be a prominent theme in this sequel. There are several shots of Jake and Neytiri spending time with their children (one of which seems to be human) as they explore everything Pandora has to offer. While the original Avatar received much critical acclaim for its visual effects, the narrative was widely seen as one of the weaker elements. Hopefully, Avatar: The Way of Water is stronger in that department, getting audiences more invested in the world and characters. Jake's promise to Neytiri that their family is their fortress hints at an emotional throughline, and it would be great if the movie delivered on that potential.
Source: 20th Century Studios
