Avatar: The Way Of Water Trailer: James Cameron's Long-Awaited Sequel Is Almost A Reality

While we still have doubts that the many, many "Avatar" sequels will ever arrive, James Cameron has been working non-stop to return audiences to the world of Pandora. And after years of delays and filming, the first "Avatar 2" trailer is here in all its blue-tinted glory. And while I'm sure we're all going to be calling this "Avatar 2," it's worth noting the official title is "Avatar: The Way of Water." 

Jake Sully, the former human turned Na'vi, and his Na'vi girlfriend Neytiri have settled down with a family. But following family life isn't enough of a spectacle for "Avatar 2," which means all-new adventures and all-new worlds await. And if this thing makes nearly as much money as the first movie, you can expect a bunch more sequels to follow. For now, though, feast your eyes on the "Avatar 2" trailer below. 

James Cameron has spent over three years working on the follow-up to his 2009 blockbuster, and a nagging question persists: does anyone still care? The first "Avatar" is still the biggest box office hit of all time — not even "Avengers: Endgame" could dethrone it for very long — so it's safe to say that someone must care about more "Avatar" movies. Still, the first film has an odd cultural footprint. We're all aware of that movie, but we don't talk about it often. 

I took it upon myself to revisit the first "Avatar" recently on Disney+. I'd only ever seen it once before, when it opened in theaters in 2009. I remember the theatrical experience to be memorable due to the impressive 3D technology. I personally think 3D is a bit of a gimmick, but I'll freely admit that Cameron managed to do something special with the format. Beyond that, though, I didn't think about the movie very much. So when I revisited it on Disney+, it was almost like watching it for the first time. The bottom line: it was fine. It's not the most original film — it lifts heavily from both "Dances with Wolves" and Disney's "Pocahantas" — but Cameron is so damn good at staging action set pieces that you can't help but pay attention.

And now here comes "Avatar 2"! I, for one, would love if Cameron went off and made a new movie that had nothing to do with "Avatar," but that clearly doesn't interest him. Instead, he wants to keep bringing us back to Pandora. In this sequel:

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. Directed by James Cameron and produced by Cameron and Jon Landau, the film stars Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement and Kate Winslet.

Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, Dileep Rao, CCH Pounder, and Matt Gerald are all reprising their roles from the original film. Sigourney Weaver is back, too, but she's playing a new character (since her character died in the first film). And the returning players are joined by new cast members Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Michelle Yeoh, Jemaine Clement, Oona Chaplin, Vin Diesel, and CJ Jones. 

"Avatar 2" arrives on December 16, 2022. Unless it doesn't. You never know, they might delay it again, just for fun.