Audiences have been waiting so long to see a sequel to James Cameron’s Avatar that time has looped back around on itself and the original film is coming out again.
After over a decade of prep and production, that sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, is finally coming out December 16. Despite its predecessor being the highest grossing film in history, at almost $US3 ($4) billion worldwide, Fox and its new owners Disney feel moviegoers need a refresher (probably a good idea, actually). That’s why the original 2009 mega hit is coming back to theatres for two weeks starting September 23 and a new trailer for the old movie is here. Which, normally, we’d ignore but damned if this still isn’t a great trailer.
The press release touts that the re-release will be in “stunning 4K High Dynamic Range” which sounds great, but 90% of people who venture out to see the film won’t be in a theatre that cares enough about presentation for you to notice. But if you want to rewatch Avatar before the new film, going to the theatre might be your best bet. Disney removed the original film from its Disney+ streaming service without notice in the past few days, most likely to drive interest toward this event. One would hope though that after the two-week engagement, it goes back on the streamer.
I revisited Avatar a few years back and I have to say, I was not just pleasantly surprised, I was kind of shocked by it. Shocked that the wildly innovative visual effects still looked pretty damned good and shocked at just how expansive and epic the film’s story is. Yes, it’s just Dances With Wolves and Pocahontas or whatever, but a film that starts with a man in a wheelchair going into space and ends with hundreds of blue beings fighting mech warriors is expansive in ways most movies today wouldn’t dare attempt. I thought “Love it or hate it, this is a proper movie.”
Written and directed by the legendary James Cameron, Avatar stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sigourney Weaver, most of whom return for the sequel. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director and won three, for Best Cinematography, Production Design, and Visual Effects. Here’s the full new poster for the rerelease.
Are you gonna head back to theatres and see Avatar? Let us know below.
Want more Gizmodo news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel and Star Wars releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Editor’s Note: Release dates within this article are based in the U.S., but will be updated with local Australian dates as soon as we know more.