by ELLA GOEDEMANS and ABBI DAVIES
One of the most highly anticipated movies of 2022, Avatar: The Way of Water, is a must-see in theaters.
Director James Cameron originally planned to release the film in 2014, but pushed it back to 2021 after expanding the plot line significantly. Fans eagerly awaited the Dec. 16, 2021, opening, but the pandemic delayed release yet again … to Dec. 16, 2022.
But even after the long wait, Avatar: The Way of Water did not disappoint. With stunning visuals and returning actors such as Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña delivering standout performances on the big screen, Avatar 2 is a poppin’ film.
Avatar: The Way of Water was a big commercial success. The movie has been at the top of domestic box-office lists since its opening, with a worldwide gross of more than $2 billion … making it the fourth-highest-earning movie of all time.
The only movies that stand ahead of the Avatar sequel are Titanic, Avengers: Endgame, and the first Avatar. Amazingly, two of these movies were directed by Cameron. The newest Avatar is already within $100 million of beating Titanic, and it continues to climb higher every day.
The main differences between Avatar: The Way of Water and the original Avatar are the new characters and environment of Pandora. In the sequel, the Sully family includes four new members. Along with Jake and Neytiri, there is Neteyam (the eldest child), Lo’ak and Tuktirey (the youngest). The family also includes an adoptive sister, Kiri (Sigourney Weaver). Returning and new characters embark on an adventure to the vast oceans of Pandora.
Although the film stands out for its incredible, hyper-realistic visuals and CGI, it does have its drawbacks compared to the first movie. For starters, unlike the first Avatar, the sequel includes the vast oceans of Pandora, along with its forests.
The length of these two movies differs as well, with Avatar clocking in at 2 hours 42 minutes, while Avatar 2 runs 3 hours 12 minutes. Avatar 2’s lengthy screen time was criticized by fans and audiences alike, as many argue that this extra length wasn’t needed, and that too much of the movie was filler.
To produce these stunning underwater visuals, the actors were required to learn new skills in Hawaii. Cameron wanted these scenes to appear more realistic, so he decided to employ a revolutionary technique: filming underwater. Scenes were recorded in a large tank on set that copied currents and waves.
In order to film such long scenes in the tank, the actors had to learn how to hold their breath for extended periods of time. They were required to get a scuba certification as well as endure training with a professional free diver, Kirk Krack.
Actress Kate Winslet, who plays Ronal, even broke Tom Cruise’s previous underwater breath-hold record on a movie set, with an astonishing 7 minutes 15 seconds.
There are still many more Avatar movies in the making, with a third, fourth and fifth sequel already in the works. According to Cameron, most of Avatar 3 has already been filmed, and all that’s left to do is polish and edit the raw film.
So, what can we expect from these long-anticipated sequels of one of the highest-grossing movie franchises of all time? Characters Jake Sully and Neytiri are returning, along with Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh making her debut in Avatar 3.
No matter the shuffling of characters, there is one thing we can be sure of: expert screenplay and genius plot by Cameron.take the picture.
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