Avatar: The Way of Water is officially going to turn a profit, and in celebration, director James Cameron offered up an update on Avatar 3, 4, and 5.

Despite more than a decade coming between Avatar and its sequel, it seems The Way of Water is another hit for Cameron, as the film breaks into the top 10 biggest movies of all time less than a month after release. 

This all comes after years of talk of the Titanic director's extensive plans for his Pandoran epic. Even before Avatar 2 hit theaters, Cameron was not shy in describing what could come next after The Way of Water. 

And with this latest sequel continuing to etch its name into the record books, and Avatar 3 in the can, Cameron took some time to look ahead at the future of the franchise.

More Avatar Sequels Confirmed on the Way

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Avatar director James Cameron provided an encouraging update on the extensive sequel plan he has for the sci-fi franchise. 

Cameron told the outlet that "it looks like [he] can’t wiggle out of this, [he's] gonna have to do these other sequels," as The Way of Water trends towards making a profit:

“It looks like just with the momentum that the film has now that will easily pass our break even in the next few days, so it looks like I can’t wiggle out of this, I’m gonna have to do these other sequels.”

According to the visionary filmmaker, "[he's] sure that [he’ll] have a discussion soon with the top folks at Disney" about "the game plan going forward for Avatar 3:"

"I know what I’m going to be doing the next six or seven years. The point is we’re going to be okay. I’m sure that we’ll have a discussion soon with with the top folks at Disney about the game plan going forward for 'Avatar 3', which is already in the can – we’ve already captured and photographed the whole film so we’re in extended post-production to do all that CG magic.

"And then 'Avatar 4' and '5' are both written. We even have some of '4' in the can. We’ve begun a franchise at this point. We’ve begun a saga that can now play out over multiple films.”

Go out and take a splash in theaters as Avatar: The Way of Water may not hit Disney+ as soon as other recent Disney releases.

Since 2019, Disney has followed a basic order of operations: if a film is released in theaters, it will eventually be streamed on Disney+.

However, there has been a lot of variance in individual projects' journeys making their way to Disney+. This is mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic that forced the studio to put more films directly on the streamer and set a new precedent for theatrical release windows.

Just before heading into a loaded 2023 slate of films, the highly anticipated Avatar: The Way of Water will look to ride the box office like a banshee in December and January. 

With a continually moving target, Avatar 2's immediate performance worldwide may affect when it eventually available to stream on Disney+

When Will Avatar 2 Be Streaming Online?

Before 2020, typically films released in theaters would follow a 90-day window before being available to purchase on VOD or Blu-Ray/DVD. 

In the case of Disney since 2020, the company has released some films day-and-date in theaters and streaming (Black Widow and Raya and the Last Dragon both were given "Premier Access" (additional cost) options on Disney+).

In recent memory, audiences have seen theatrical windows shrink for some of 2022's biggest films. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was available to stream on Disney+ 47 days after its theatrical release. Widening the release slightly a few months later, Thor Love and Thunder was available to stream 62 days after its theatrical release.

Director James Cameron has the track record to show that this film will likely be a historically successful sequel. The global box office performance is critical for understanding when Avatar 2 will begin streaming on Disney+.

Avatar: The Way of Water's Best Chances for Disney+ Release

Assuming The Way of Water puts on a top-notch box office performance, there will be no rush to make it available streaming. 

During its opening weekend, Avatar 2 grossed $134 million domestically and an additional $307.6 million internationally. The $441.6 million global opening is the second-highest of 2022 (May’s Multiverse of Madness opened to $449.4 million worldwide).

These numbers were generally under projections by industry experts, however, nearly reaching half of a billion in three days is nothing to be disappointed about. A 90-day theatrical window would equate to Thursday, March 17, 2023. 

However, a month earlier, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (another massive Disney production) releases on February 17. This could lead the company to put Avatar 2 out on streaming around the same time if its box office has fizzled out after roughly 60 days in theaters.

It would be fascinating to see how Disney handles this one, especially considering the Avatar franchise is most famously known for its box office longevity and being made for the theater. 

It’s a safe bet to assume James Cameron isn’t in any rush for his first film in 13 years to begin streaming.

Avatar: The Way of Water is currently playing in theaters worldwide.

A new move by Russian theater owners could legalize piracy of Avatar: The Way of Water, as the film is days away from premiering elsewhere across the world.

Avatar 2 marks the release of a sequel more than a decade in the making. With the film, director James Cameron will attempt to follow up on his 2009 epic, Avatar, a movie that became the biggest box office hit of all time.

And The Way of Water is looking like it is going to live up to the hype of the first film. Critics seem to love the sequel thus far, with some calling it "mind-blowing." 

However, one country that will not be able to enjoy the Titanic director's latest sci-fi odyssey is Russia. As the country remains the aggressor in the unfortunate Ukraine/Russia conflict, Disney has decided to pull the film from distribution in the European nation. 

But that seemingly will not stop Russian audiences from seeing Avatar 2, as the act of pirating the film may be legalized amongst theater owners in the country. 

The Unofficial Russian Avatar 2 Release

According to Russian news outlet Izvestia (via Celluloid Junkie), the practice of piracy for Avatar: The Way of Water may be legalized in Russia.

The outlet reported that the Russian Association of Theater Owners (ABK) is ready to legalize the distribution of the film, despite the Avatar sequel being held back from an official release in the country. 

This act would go directly against the copyright of rightsholder, 20th Century Films, but Russian theaters are expecting illegitimate prints of the movie to be making the rounds in time for The Way of Water's December 16 release date. 

The pirated copies of Avatar 2 are likely to cost theater owners a pretty penny, with rips of the film costing anywhere from RUB 50 thousand (USD $790) to RUB 1 million rubles (USD $15,820), depending on the quality. 

Some theaters on the lower end will show in-theater camcorder recordings from elsewhere in the world, while others will shell out for near-flawless prints of the movie that look straight from Disney. 

A number of Russian filmmakers are seemingly against the idea of Avatar: The Way of Water coming to the country, as they hope to catch as much of the box office draw over the holiday season with their own domestic fare instead of international works that aren't even legally allowed to show there, to begin with. This could cause the illegal release of the film to be pushed a number of weeks when the Russian release calendar is a little less crowded. 

This mass-pirating effort could potentially cost theater owners thousands of dollars in fines, however. Even though the Russian government does not regulate what movies are shown in cinemas, the local Ministry of Culture does require what is known in Russia as a PU (Distribution Certificate) for new releases, something theater chains can no longer do for foreign films as all Moscow-based arms of the major studios shut down operation earlier this year. 

The Association of Cinema Owners in Russia is attempting to push through a system that would allow them to acquire PUs without the Hollywood go-ahead, which would lead to them being able to show pirated copies of films legally on their screens. 

Will Avatar 2 Ultimately Come to Russia?

At this point, it seems like Russian theaters are more than willing to do just about anything to get James Cameron's latest blockbuster on their screens. If that means pushing the release date into the new year, incurring fines, or showing a copy filmed by someone elsewhere in the world, they will do that. 

It is fascinating to see just how hard they are pushing to play pirated material for Russian audiences. But from a business standpoint, it actually makes sense.

Avatar was/is the biggest movie of all time, and it was no slouch in Russia itself. The first film made just over $120,000,000 at the Russian box office back in 2009, making it the most successful film of the year in the country. 

And now, 13 years later, there is physically no legitimate way for Russia to see James Cameron's follow-up. 

As war rages on in Ukraine, and the rest of the world cuts ties with Russia, one of the side effects includes none of Hollywood's biggest and brightest playing on Russian screens. 

Because of this Russian theaters have been forced to play pirated copies of a number of films including Pixar's Lightyear, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, and more. 

This isn't something theater owners have any control of. They have no say over their nation's military operations. They just want to be able to make enough money to stay afloat, and something like Avatar could help buoy them in a continually uncertain fiscal and geopolitical time for the European nation.

So, if they have to resort to piracy, that is pretty well the only option they have. 

Avatar: The Way of Water releases on December 16 stateside, with no official release for Russia.

Avatar: The Way Of Water producer Jon Landau reveals that the Avatar sequels will each explore a new clan of Na'vi and their culture. The first Avatar showed the forest-based Na'vi, with Jake Sully learning about the forest, their sacred tree, and the flying creatures, Ikran and Toruk. James Cameron has taken inspiration from Earth itself in designing Pandora. Landau compared the two, saying, "I tell people we could spend our whole life traveling Earth and not see all of the wonders it holds," which seems to indicate Pandora will have the same diversity of environments and cultures.

During an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Landau teased that more of Pandora will be explored in Avatar 3 and Avatar 4. Avatar: The Way of Water will introduce a water-based Na'vi clan that has physically changed due to adaptation to their environment. Landau also explained how the Avatar movies will continue to show different parts of Pandora and the connection to Eywa.

Jon Landau: What I'm excited about as we move on in the sequels [is that] each sequel will take us to new places. Each sequel will introduce us to new cultures and new clans of Na'vi. And to me that's exciting because it allows us to reflect on our world. Throughout the process, we want to continue with this idea of connectivity on Pandora; that we are all connected, whether it's through Eywa or other ways. And to remind people here that we are connected and that our actions have an impact on people around us and the world around us.

Critics have shared their strong first reactions after attending the world premiere of James Cameron's Avatar: The Way of Water. 

The upcoming Avatar 2 has been a long time coming. Director James Cameron has been vocal that he needed technology to catch up to his vision for the sequel, and now the time has finally come to see the results of that work.

Fans will soon get the chance to return to Pandora for the first time since 2009, as Cameron debuts to the world this next installment in his "generational family saga."

Now with The Way of Water only mere days away from global release, critics have offered their first reactions to Cameron's latest sci-fi epic. 

Avatar 2 First Reactions Make Their Way Online

Following the world premiere of Avatar: The Way of Water, in London, England, critics shared strong first reactions to James Cameron's Avatar: The Way of Water. 

Comicbook.com's Brandon Davis called the film both "fulfilling and indulgent," noting that overall he "liked it:"

So How Good Is Avatar 2 Really?

Right now, it seems like the cool thing to do is to laud Avatar, its sequels, and James Cameron as a filmmaker. However, it seems the Canadian director may have struck gold again with The Way of Water. 

These first reactions are glowing nearly across the board. The film's visuals in particular are a point of emphasis seen in almost every initial review. 

But this movie was always going to be beautiful. That has been evident in every second of the movie shown so far. Cameron has made a career of pushing the very visual boundaries of the medium. What is encouraging to hear is that the film's story works as well.

The word "thin" was used a couple of times in relation to the sequel's story, but never is it called outright bad, boring, or derivative. And most that complained about the narrative made it a point to mention the "emotional" and "extraordinary" final act found in the film. 

Narrative depth has never been Cameron's strong suit. With a few exceptions, he has been a blockbuster filmmaker who has thrived on spectacle. This eye-candy approach has yielded stunning results though, as Cameron looks to have crafted yet another hit with Avatar 2. 

Avatar: The Way of Water hits theaters on December 16.  

Avatar: The Way of the Water is confirmed to feature the return of humans in Pandora, and the reason for their surprising comeback has finally been revealed. 

Marketing for Avatar 2 has been ramping up in the past weeks as it approaches its December release date. However, the exact plot details are still being kept under wraps. 

Despite that, there have been many teases of what to expect, particularly in its latest trailer. New footage from Avatar 2 has revealed that another tragic story is in the cards for Jake Sully and his newfound Na'vi family, and this clearly has something to do with the return of its human villains a.k.a. the Sky People from the first movie. 

And now, the arrival of these villains in Pandora (again) has been finally explained.

Avatar 2 Explains Why Human Villains Return

As per the official press release for Avatar: The Way of Water, Disney provided more details on why the humans (the Sky People) decided to return to Pandora. 

After successfully defeating the humans and sending them back to Earth in the first Avatar movie, the Omatikaya clan has lived a peaceful life on Pandora for more than a decade. However, this was abruptly broken when a growing star in the night sky signals the return of the invaders. 

When the Sky people alongside their massive destructive equipment land on Pandora, the Sullys and the rest of the Omatikaya are then forced to create a secured stronghold inside a giant cavern that is located within one of the massive floating rock formations that are a part of the Hallelujah Mountains. 

It was then revealed that the humans' return to Pandora is not just to run a mining operation to strip the moon of unobtainium. Instead, the Resources Development Administration (RDA) came back with the added objective of colonizing the entire moon and making it the new home for humanity since Earth is on the verge of no longer being inhabitable. 

On top of having a plethora of weaponized land, air, and sea vehicles, the RDA also unveiled their own secret weapon against the Na'vi in the form of an elite team of soldiers resurrected as recombinants (recoms). 

The recoms are autonomous Avatars embedded with the memories of the humans whose DNA was used to create them. This innovation led to the return of Col. Miles Quaritch as its leader, a villain who died in the first movie played by Stephen Lang. 

The Sky People's Return is Bad News for Avatar 2

The human villains in the first Avatar movie were already a formidable foe for the Na'vi. The fact that they are returning with new weapons alongside a resurrected Col. Quaritch inside a Na'vi body definitely spells bad news for Jake Sully and the Omatikaya clan. 

In the first movie, it took a great amount of effort to defeat the Sky People, with Jake and Neytiri gathering the other clans of Pandora to rebel against their invaders. Many lives were lost during that epic battle, and a repeat of those events would be catastrophic for the Na'vi in Avatar 2. 

Moreover, the desperation level of the humans are at an all-time high in the sequel considering that they need Pandora as a whole instead of their resources in order to survive. This is on top of a vengeful Col. Quaritch who is seeking revenge against Jake. All of these aspects combined is just disaster written all over it. 

However, a new ally in the form of the Metkayina or the oceanic Na'vi could be the key in defeating the humans this time around. 

Whatever the case, the thrilling battle will be unleashed when Avatar: The Way of the Water premieres in theaters on Friday, December 16.

Ubisoft has delayed the release of the sci-fi action-adventure game Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora until sometime in 2023 or 2024.

As reported by PC Gamer, Ubisoft announced as part of its Q1 earnings call that the release of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora would be delayed, now expected to release sometime between 2023 and 2024. "We are committed to delivering a cutting-edge immersive experience that takes full advantage of next-gen technology, as this amazing global entertainment brand represents a major multi-year opportunity for Ubisoft," Ubisoft said.

Ubisoft also commented that even though the additional time is "a reflection of the current ongoing constraints on productions across the industry," the company is determined to "design the most efficient working conditions to ensure both flexibility for our teams as well as strong productivity while delivering the best experiences to players."

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot also addressed the game's status during a Q&A for Ubisoft's financial call, stating that the decision to push the release back is because he expects the title to play a considerable role in the future of the company. "What we feel is the Avatar brand can become a videogame brand," said Guillemot during the Q&A. "So because the potential is just enormous, because there are also movies coming and lots of activity on that brand in the next few years, we are treating that brand like a videogame brand. So we are putting all the energy of the team to make sure it is a fantastic game."

Ubisoft's Frontiers of Pandora game will mark another addition to the Avatar franchise, which will be expanding with the release of Avatar: The Way of Water, the long-awaited sequel to James Cameron's 2009 Avatar film. Both Frontiers of Pandora and its movie sequel counterpart have been in development for quite some time. Though officially unveiled in 2021, the video game was initially announced in 2017, sporting the placeholder name The Avatar Project.

The science fiction-based Avatar franchise would come to fruition after the release of Avatar in 2009. The movie follows Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic marine, as he inhabits the mind of a blue, humanoid creature called a Na'vi through futuristic technology and begins to understand the species' struggle against human colonization. The film would become an instant hit, gathering an astounding $2.8 billion and becoming the highest-grossing movie of all time, a record it still holds today. Though the film came out nearly 13 years ago, its immense popularity has helped culminate into a long-awaited sequel, one whose trailer shows off just how far the Avatar franchise's CGI has come.

Avatar: The Way of Water releases on Dec. 16, 2022.

Source: PC Gamer

James Cameron's Avatar was groundbreaking when it debuted and brought a new shade of science-fiction to the masses. Now, 13 years later, the record-breaking movie is getting its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water. Since the trailer dropped in May this year, the internet has been on fire with speculations and reviews, with fans wondering what more the franchise has in store.

Indeed, there will be sequels, and there has already been a video game, but will Avatar spawn its own extended universe? Fans are eager to see the magical world grow, whether it be in the form of spin-off shows or otherwise. The likes of Harry Potter and Star Wars certainly went that way, and Avatar would indeed benefit from an extended lore, making it one of the most expansive original universes since Tolkien's Middle-earth.

Avatar's Current Universe Includes Planned Sequels and a Video Game

In a wave of new information for the highly anticipated sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, franchise director James Cameron has revealed details about the production process behind all the Avatar sequels, comparing them to The Lord of the Rings, according to an exclusive for Empire Magazine.

“What I said to the Fox regime at the time was, ‘I’ll do it, but we’ve got to play a larger game here. I don’t want to just do a movie and do a movie and do a movie. I want to tell a bigger story’,” Cameron told Empire Magazine. “I said, ‘Imagine a series of novels like The Lord of the Rings existed, and we’re adapting them.’ Now, that was great in theory, but then I had to go create the frickin’ novels from which to adapt it.”

Similar to Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, Cameron filmed the Avatar sequels back-to-back in a lengthy shoot that began in 2017. After the release of The Way of Water, the third Avatar film is expected to debut in December 2024 with the fourth and fifth film following every two years. The first Avatar was praised for its detailed world building, which Lord of the Rings is also similarly known for. With over a decade in the making, Cameron will expand the world of Avatar even more by showing the different cultures and ecosystems of Pandora in the upcoming sequels.

Alongside the production information given by Cameron, Empire Magazine also revealed a new image from the film which shows a young Na'vi, likely one of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri's (Zoe Saldaña) children, sitting in the water with a giant whale-like creature. The image depicts the two sharing a connection with each other offering a glimpse of the life-like CGI that audiences will get to experience.

The image reveals a closer look of what was teased in the first trailer for the film which depicted the two swimming together underwater. While it remains unknown how large of a role their connection will have to the plot, it does echo an event in the first film when Jake bonded with the Great Leonopteryx, known to the Na'vi as Toruk. As speculation and anticipation continue to build, audiences will finally be able to explore the oceans of Pandora when the film releases in theaters later this year.

Directed by Cameron, Avatar: The Way of Water will be released exclusively in theaters on December 16. The original Avatar will also be re-released in theaters on September 23.