It's been thirteen years since the first Avatar movie premiered, and now, Disney has not only announced what the sequel will be called, but we're just a few weeks from being able to watch it in theatres. To help you be as prepared as possible for the movie when it releases, here is everything we know so far about Avatar 2.

Avatar 2: Official title

Avatar's sequel is not called Avatar 2, although that's what many have referred to the movie as for years. Instead, it's officially called Avatar: The Way of Water. Disney announced the title at CinemaCon 2022.

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Disney / 20th Century Fox

Avatar 2: What to know

The plot for James Cameron's Avatar sequel is vague at best, although we do know it will still roughly be about humans attempting to mine the alien planet of Pandora for a rare metal known as unobtanium.

If you don't remember the original Avatar, the sequel will still star Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, a former Marine who takes the role of an Avatar, allowing him to be in the body of one of the native Na'vi. Sully is a spy for Earth among the Na'vi on Pandora, but he falls in love with one of them, Neytiri, who is played by Zoë Saldana, and he ultimately has to go against his own people.

Sully and Neytiri are both set to return for the next installation in the franchise.

Synopsis

Here is the official synopsis for Avatar: The Way of Water:

"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."

Logline

Here is the official logline for Avatar: The Way of Water:

"Jake Sully and Ney'tiri have formed a family and are doing everything to stay together. However, they must leave their home and explore the regions of Pandora. When an ancient threat resurfaces, Jake must fight a difficult war against the humans."

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Disney / 20th Century Fox

Avatar 2: Release date

  • Theatrical release date: 16 December 2022.

The long-delayed Avatar sequel is currently set to release in the US on 16 December 2022.

Preliminary shooting for the film started in 2017, and filming didn't conclude until late September 2020. After that, the film's theatrical release was delayed a whopping eight times. Disney is currently developing three more sequels - Avatar 3, 4, and 5 - which are due to be released, respectively, on 20 December 2024, 18 December 2026, and 22 December 2028 - if they're not impacted by delays.

Avatar 2: Where to stream

  • Where: Expect it to arrive on Amazon Prime and Disney+ after its theatrical release
  • When: Perhaps late January 2023 or early February 2023

In the past two years, Disney has released a handful of films on Disney+ after their minimum 45-day exclusive theatrical release window ended. While the studio hasn't officially committed to a streaming release date for Avatar: The Way of Water, it seems likely that it does have at least a 45-day exclusive theatrical release, which means it could hit Disney+ by February 2023.

Avatar 2: Trailers

Disney released the first teaser trailer alongside Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which premiered in theatres in May. You can watch the trailer below.

A full trailer for the movie came a few months later, at the start of November 2022, and it gives a much closer look at some of the characters the film will follow. It's embedded at the top of this feature.

Avatar 2: Cast and crew

James Cameron directed the original Avatar and its sequel. He wrote the characters, too, but he was helped by Josh Friedman, who did the screenplay.

Confirmed cast

The core cast of the original Avatar will be back, plus some newcomers. Here are a few of the names and their characters that have been confirmed so far:

  • Sam Worthington - Jake Sully
  • Zoe Saldana - Na'vi princess Neytiri
  • Stephen Lang - Colonel Miles Quaritch
  • Sigourney Weaver - Wholly new character
  • Kate Winslet - Ronal
  • CCH Pounder - Mo'at
  • Matt Gerald - Corporal Lyle Wainfleet
  • Edie Falco - General Ardmore.
  • Cliff Curtis - Tonowari
  • Jamie Flatters - Neteyam
  • Britain Dalton - Lo'ak
  • Trinity Bliss - Tuktirey
  • Jack Champion - Miles Socorro, aka Spider
  • Oona Chaplin - Varang
  • Michelle Yeoh - Dr Karina Mogue
  • Jemaine Clement - Dr Ian Garvin
  • Vin Diesel - Not announced
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Disney / 20th Century Fox

Avatar 2: How to catch up

For those who don’t quite remember what happened in the original 2009 Avatar, Disney has remastered the film and released it in theatres globally on 23 September 2022. Or, you can watch the first Avatar on Disney+ right now. Either way, we strongly recommend checking it out before heading to see Avatar: The Way of Water in cinemas this December. It'll be a good refresher.