By McKenna R.
“Avatar 2: Way of Water” dominated the box office. After only 4 weeks, the movie generated $517 million in North America and $1.19 billion overseas, standing at the highest-grossing film released in 2022. This epic science fiction film was directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. James Cameron is regarded as one of the post-New Hollywood era’s most inventive directors, frequently pushing the limits of cinematic capacity with his use of cutting-edge technology.
The first Avatar film was released in 2009 earning $2.922 billion at the box office becoming the highest-grossing film of all time. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sigourney Weaver feature in the film. It’s set in the mid-twentieth century. The film’s premise opens with mankind colonizing Pandora, a lush habitable moon in the Alpha Centauri star system, to extract the precious mineral Unobtanium. The mining colony’s development threatens the survival of the local tribe of Na’vi, a humanoid race indigenous to Pandora. The title refers to a genetically altered Na’vi body that is controlled by the brain of a distant human and is used to connect with the people of Pandora.
Due to the success of the film, Cameron negotiated a deal with 20th Century Fox to create four sequels. Avatar: The Way of Water, the first sequel, was released on December 16, 2022, breaking multiple box office records and receiving comparable reviews. Avatar 3 has finished main photography and will be released in 2024. Additional sequels are set to be released in 2026 and 2028.
“Avatar 2: Way of Water” is the continuation of the first movie and the second installment in the Avatar film series. The film first reveals a brief explanation of what has happened since. Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, and Jemaine Clement have joined the cast as newcomers. In the film, Jake Sully and Ney’tiri have created a family and are doing everything they can to protect it. Their family includes Neteyam, Kiri, Lo’ak, and Tuktirey. Kiri, however, is not biologically their child and is actually the child given birth by Grace in her unconscious avatar form. The father is unknown. Regardless, as human threats resurface, they seek sanctuary with the Metkayina clan of Pandora. On Pandora’s reefs, there is an oceanic Na’vi tribe called the Metkayina. Tonowari and Ronal, who reside in the clan’s primary settlement of Awa’atlu, are in charge of overseeing it. Both the Omaticaya, who live in the forest, and the Metkayina, who live in the sea, are peaceful people who only use violence when their territory is taken by humans.
!!!WARNING!!!SLOW DOWN!!!SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
What can be predicted in the following films: James Cameron informed France’s “20 Minutes” that a new type of Na’vi called the ‘Ash People’ will be introduced in the third installment of the series and will showcase the darker side of the Na’vi. Production for “Avatar 3: The Seed Bearer” has already been completed and will be released December 24, 2024. It is also implied by the name that we might get more in depth information about Kiri’s origins and powers.
Not much is known about the fourth installment other then its possible title, “Avatar 4: The Tulkun Rider” which is rather ambiguous. However, when James Cameron turned in the script for 4, it was disclosed that there would be a time skip and that the creative executive over the films was greatly impressed with it. It is also possible that Lo’ak will be narrating this film seeing as he made a strong bond with the Tulkun, Payakan. Furthermore, the plot will be a part of a meta-narrative that runs from Avatar 2 to 5, it is meant to be a stand alone.
In the final installment, “Avatar 5: The Quest For Eywa” Cameron has stated that he believes Avatar 5 will move the action to Earth. According to the filmmaker, Neytiri will realize that not all humans are terrible, and viewers will realize that not all Na’vi are morally good, which subtly alludes to the Avatar alien invasion film. These films are highly anticipated and will be released every two years: 2024, 2026, and 2028. And I, personally, cannot wait!
