After a massive debut in December 2022 and impressive legs at the global box office (earning $2,320 billion worldwide), Avatar: The Way of Water is gradually making its way into households worldwide. In this article you’ll find all the basic information about Avatar 2 as well as how to watch it online in the U.S. and U.K.
Avatar: The Way of Water’s hefty budget reportedly sat at $250 without marketing costs, effectively making it one of the most expensive movie productions of all time, though those numbers have become not too rare nowadays. Despite the huge box office expectations both Disney and James Cameron had for it, Avatar 2 easily turned a profit for 20th Century Studios and the Disney overlords.
Three more sequels are planned, with the third entry, releasing on December 20, 2024, now deep into post-production and the fourth one with its first act already in the bag. Producer Jon Landau said back in December that they might need to shoot some extra scenes for Avatar 3 this year though.
If you want to learn more about some of the in-universe tech found in the first movie, check out our article about Avatar spaceships and vehicles. We also have a piece on the creatures of Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water if you’re interested in Pandora’s wondrous ecosystems. Also, be sure to watch the first trailer for Ubisoft’s upcoming Avatar video game, which launches later this year after a big delay.
When was the Avatar 2 release date?
- December 16, 2022 - Theaters
- June 7, 2023 - Disney+
Avatar 2 was released in theaters worldwide starting on December 16, 2022, roughly 13 years after the original Avatar wowed audiences for the first time. Following the theatrical run, it made its way to Disney+ on June 7, 2023.
Originally, Avatar 3, 4, and 5 were set to be released on December 20, 2024, December 18, 2026, and December 22, 2028, respectively. Unfortunately, due to a number of delays from Disney, the Avatar series won't end until 2031 – for those keeping score, that's 22 years after the first movie came out!
So, the new scheduled release dates are as follows: Avatar 3 should be arriving on December 19, 2025; Avatar 4 is slated for a December 21, 2029 release; and Avatar 5 will wrap up the saga on December 19, 2031 (hopefully).
How to watch Avatar 2?
This section contains an overview of the best places to watch Avatar: The Way of Water in the U.S. and U.K. The Avatar franchise is now owned by Disney, which means that the most reliable way to watch Avatar 2 online is Disney Plus. However, the movie can now be found on other platforms and services, so read on below to learn about all the streaming, rent, and buy options available.
- U.S. streaming: Disney Plus
- U.S. to buy: Amazon Video, AMC on Demand, Apple TV, DIRECTV, Google Play, Microsoft Store, Redbox, Vudu, YouTube
- U.K. streaming: Disney Plus
- U.K. to buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play, Microsoft Store, Rakuten TV, Sky Store, YouTube
Those who are looking to buy the physical DVD and Blu-ray release won’t have to wait much longer, as it will hit stores on June 20, 2023, with pre-orders now available.
What is the plot of Avatar 2?
Spoilers ahead for the first Avatar.
The first movie ended with the RDA (Resources Development Administration) being defeated by both Na’vi forces and Pandoran wildlife seemingly controlled by Eywa itself. With the exceptions of Jake Sully, Norm Spellman, and a select few others, all humans are sent back to Earth. In the final scene, Jake lets go of his human body for good and permanently transfers his conscience into his avatar with the aid of the sacred Tree of Souls.
Avatar: The Way of Water kicks off more than a decade after the events of the first movie, with Jake and his Na’vi partner Neytiri having formed a sizable family and dealing with new and old troubles. James Cameron has described the Avatar sequels as a huge generational story comprised of self-sustaining installments, so it’s reasonable to expect a gradual shift towards the younger characters that will be introduced in The Way of Water.
In Avatar 2, most of the action takes place in a different part of Pandora, with a special focus on the reef people clan of Metkayina, a society of Na’vi with a strong connection to Pandora’s oceans. Meanwhile, the RDA has returned with new colonization plans, a new army, and new technology, such as the Recombinants, avatars embedded with the memories of soldiers – this is how original bad guy Colonel Miles Quaritch makes his return.
Avatar 2: Trailers
The Avatar: The Way of Water teaser trailer was first seen exclusively in front of showings of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. A few days later, on May 9, Disney and 20th Century Studios released the trailer online.
A full trailer for Avatar: The Way of Water was released on November 22, 2022. You can watch the official trailer in full below:
Avatar 2: Cast
Much of the original movie’s acting talent returned for the second Avatar, but the ensemble is has grown even bigger with many high-profile additions joining the saga as the scope widens.
The returning Avatar 2 cast is formed by Sam Worthington (Jake Sully), Zoe Saldana (Neytiri), Sigourney Weaver (Kiri – a new Na’vi character), Stephen Lang (Miles Quaritch), Giovanni Ribisi (Parker Selfridge), CCH Pounder (Mo’at), Joel David Moore (Norm Spellman), Dileep Rao (Dr. Max Patel), and Matt Gerald (Lyle Wainfleet).
The veteran actors are joined by Cliff Curtis (Tonowari), Kate Winslet (Ronal), Jamie Flatters (Neteyam), Britain Dalton (Lo’ak), Trinity Bliss (Tuktirey), Jack Champion (Javier “Spider” Socorro), Edie Falco (General Ardmore), Brendan Cowell (Scoresby), and Jemaine Clement (Dr. Ian Garvin).
Avatar 2: Director, writers & crew
James Cameron has unsurprisingly returned as writer-director for Avatar 2 and 3, though this time he’s been helped by a handful of writers (one for each sequel). Well ahead of starting pre-production work on the sequels, he spent several years writing an "Avatar bible" and outlining the entire saga, as well as developing new CGI improvements and mo-cap tech which is more precise and can work underwater.
In order to pen The Way of Water, Cameron was joined by screenwriter Josh Friedman (War of the Worlds, Terminator: Dark Fate). Cameron and Jon Landau once again act as producers, with Peter M. Tobyansen and David Valdes serving as executive producers. Brigitte Yorke is an associate producer on the project.
Russell Carpenter (Titanic, Ant-Man) is handling the cinematography. Simon Franglen (Peppermint, The Magnificent Seven) is creating the original score after original Avatar composer James Horner tragically passed away in 2015.
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