In the time it's taken for Avatar 2 to reach the big screen, we could have piloted our own expedition to the remote planet of Pandora. Nevertheless, the trailer for the Avatar sequel, officially titled The Way of Water, is finally here.
Many of you will have seen the preview on the big screen already as it's attached to Marvel's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. But such is the trailer's lyrical beauty that one can revel in it repeatedly.
Some 13 and a half years after the original Avatar busted records to become the highest-grossing movie of all time (since overtaken by Avengers: Endgame), director James Cameron takes us back into the world of the Na'Vi.
The first movie depicted the paraplegic grunt Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his assimilation into the indigenous Na'Vi tribe via the Avatar body swap programme. Initially placed on Pandora to help the military exploit the planet's natural resources, Sully experiences a crisis of loyalties when he falls in love with Na'Vi warrior Neytiri (Zoe Saldana).
In Cameron's typical style, the original Avatar pushed the boundaries of effects technology, exploiting cutting-edge motion-capture CGI in line with then-revolutionary immersive 3D effects. The end result was a truly transporting trip to the other side of the galaxy.
Avatar: The Way of Water expands the horizons of Pandora by introducing us to the Na'Vi's underwater tribes. Appearing alongside Worthington and Saldana is former Cameron collaborator Kate Winslet. She plays Ronal, a member of the free-diving Metkayina tribe.
The seriously stacked cast includes returning faces Stephen Lang as Quaritch and Sigourney Weaver as Grace Augustine. Michelle Yeoh, Edie Falco and Jemaine Clement are among the new faces turning up.
Will this rival the original Avatar for sheer knock-your-socks-off power and visual spectacle? Watch the trailer and judge for yourself. Avatar: The Way of Water is released on 16th December 2022.
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