![]()
Things You Didn’t Know About Avatar 2
1. What Took So Long?
Image Source / Wikipedia
The time frame between the first Avatar and its sequel is a whopping 13 years. This break might seem too long for some, but there were numerous setbacks, delaying its release. Director James Cameron needed special technology to be able to film high quality, underwater shots which took longer than expected to develop.
2. Release Date
Image Source / The Guardian
The long awaited Avatar: The Way Of Water has had numerous release dates including, 2015, December 2016 and December 2021 due to multiple setbacks and unexpected improvements that needed to be made. After many rearrangements, the new release date is 16th December 2022, and this one is here to stay.
3. Meaning Behind The Name
Image Source / Movie Zone
The Avatar sequel entitled ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ has been given its name due to the significance of the seas of ‘Pandora’ in the film. The majority of this film is set in the waters of the fictional place, and there is lots of underwater elements of this film, hence its name.
4. Familiar Faces
Image Source / Devdiscourse
Avatar’s sequel sees the return of many of its original cast members. You may remember these faces from the 2009 release; Sam Worthington as main character Jake Sully, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang and many more return for more adventures with the franchise. There are some new faces, but many of the OG cast remain.
5. Newbies On Set
Image Source / Devdiscourse
As mentioned, there are some new faces on the set of Avatar 2 this time around. As the storyline develops, so does the cast. Most notably, Titanic’s Kate Winslet is joining the cast as character Ronal and although details of her character have been kept under wraps, people are definitely excited to see her back on the screen.
6. Big Budget
Image Source / Wallpapersden
Avatar 2 has been revealed to have an extremely large budget, which is one of the causes of the films many setbacks. It has been reported that the sequel of Avatar cost an astonishing $250 million to make; in comparison to a $237 million budget for the original Avatar release.
7. Not The Only Sequel
Image Source / HDQwalls
Director James Cameron has revealed that following the second instalment of Avatar, there will be three other stand alone films to come in the future. The 3rd Avatar is due to be released December 2024, but no more details have been revealed just yet.
8. Introduction Of Special Equipment
Image Source / Y.M.Cinema
Due to the volume of underwater filming, director James Cameron delayed filming until the correct equipment had been created to perfect the scenes. Pawel Achtel development the 3D Rig that would be used in the filming of Avatar 2. It has also been noticed that Cameron himself helped work on the creation of this camera.
9. These Actors Turned Down The Role...
Image Source / The Hollywood Reporter
Arguably the worst move of Matt Damon’s career was turning down the role of Jake Sully in the original Avatar film. For number 2, numerous actors made the same mistake of turning down a role in the high budget sequel such as Edward Norton and Josh Brolin.
10. Re-release Of The Original Avatar
Image Source / IMDb
In light of the release of Avatar: The Way Of Water, it has been announced that there will be a re-release of the original film to celebrate. The 4K re-release will be shown in cinemas across America, and will be on streaming platform Disney +. This is for those who want to watch the sequel to familiarise themselves with the characters, or if you’ve never seen it before, now is the chance.
11. A Summary Of The Plot
Image Source / The Los Angeles Times
Avatar: The Way Of Water follows main characters Jake Sully and Neytiri and their new family in Pandora and in a place as unpredictable as this, they must go to incredible heights to keep themselves and the whole Sully family safe. They must leave the family home, but you’ll have to wait and see what they must endure.
12. Kate Breaking Records
Image Source / IndieWire
Filming the sequel, Kate Winslet had to hold her breath for a record breaking 7 minutes for her character, Ronal. She broke the record for the longest breath-hold for a movie, previously held by Tom Cruise. Winslet claimed she ‘thought she’d died’ and ‘would never be able to do it again’ after the event.
13. A Lengthy Film
Image Source / Heute
The length of Avatar 2 is an astonishing 3 hour 10 minutes long, half an hour longer than the first instalment of the franchise. Director of the film James Cameron claims the film is so long due to an increased focus on relationships and emotions between the characters in the sequel.
14. Director James Cameron
Image Source / More Movies
Canadian film director James Cameron is the mastermind behind Avatar 2. This is not his only work; he is also the brains behind numerous blockbuster hits. As well as directing the whole Avatar franchise so far, he has also directed Titanic staring Leonardo DiCaprio, The Terminator, and Aliens.
15. Avatar’s Age Rating
Image Source / YouTube
The official age rating of the first Avatar sequel is yet to be revealed, however it can be assumed that it will be similar to the first instalment of the Avatar franchise. It was rated PG 13 in America but had a 12 certificate in Britain; it can only be suspected that Avatar 2 will be the same.
16. A Family Affair
Image Source / ComingSoon.net
As the film is set a decade after the original, meaning the characters have developed whilst being away from our screens. Main characters Jake Sully and Neytiri now have children, which adds an entirely new layer of the film. We have seen people navigate Pandora as individuals, but how will they survive as a family?
17. About Na’vi’s
Image Source / Reddit
The standout feature of a Na’vi is their striking blue colour, however the scale of them compared to humans can get lost in the film. Did you know that the Na’vi species have an average height of 10 foot? They also have a life expectancy of 160-180 years!
18. Composer James Horner
Image Source / IMDb
James Horner was an American composer, and the role he played in making Avatar what it was, was vital. He was nominated for accolades such as a BAFTA, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for his work on the first titanic; however his tragic death in 2015 meant that the production of Avatar 2 had to go on without him. The newest Avatar film will see music composed by Simon Franglen.
19. How Much Water?!
Image Source / Vulture
Avatar: The Way Of Water, as the name suggests, is set predominately in and around the seas of fictional land Pandora. For the most realistic outcome, the actors had to film many of the scenes under water themselves. This meant that on set, a 900,000-gallon capacity water tank was used to submerge the actors to film the scenes!
20. Extensive Training
Image Source / Polygon
The actors had to do rigorous scuba diving training to prepare for the intense underwater filming that would go ahead. Actors involved in Avatar 2 reported having weights put around their waists with professionals retrieving them from the water in intervals, and learning to be underwater without natural reflexes occurring such as squinting their eyes.
21. Intense Preparation
Image Source / Bobby 24
Its not uncommon for film directors to fully emerge themselves in the settings of their work, and the same goes for Avatar 2 director James Cameron who spent time in the wildlife to have a in depth, well rounded idea of how the characters of the film may feel and navigate in that climate.
22. Big Shoes To Fill
Image Source / SAT.1
The expectations for the second Avatar are extremely high following the success of the first. Avatar still holds the record for the highest grossing movie of all time following its release in 2009 and as well as being branded the best science fiction production of all time, it made over $2.5 billion worldwide. Avatar 2 definitely has big shoes to fill.
23. Accessible To All
Image Source / Thrillist
An act of inclusion or an insane money move? Avatar 2 is reported to be released in 160 languages. Yes 160! As well as this, the movie will be released in many formats to suit movie theatres all over the world. If the word is kept and this goes forward, it will be the first in cinematic history.
24. The Timeline Of Avatar 2
Image Source / High On Cinema
A little bit more about the new cast and the members of the Sully family that you wouldn’t have seen in the previous Avatar. Set over a decade after the first film, Jake Sully and Neytiri have welcomed three sons, Neteyam, Lo'ak, and Spider; and a daughter, Tuktirey. Three out of the four children are Na’vi, but the trailer shows son Spider, as a human.
25. Don’t Worry If You Haven’t Seen The Original
Image Source / The Hollywood Reporter
Don’t worry if you haven’t seen the original, according the director James Cameron, there’s no need. He claims that all of the Avatar movies are self concluding and are their own, individual projects. Although characters, settings and themes cross through all of the Avatar instalments, the plots will remain completely unrelated to the one before.
26. Simultaneous Script Writing
Image Source / CNN
James Cameron teamed up with a number of talented script writers to create all the sequels to Avatar simultaneously. This is unheard of in film but they have already started writing and shooting to maintain cohesion between the films and so all of the sequels get the same amount of love and attention from the creators.
27. New Species On The Scene
Image Source / IMDb
It’s no secret that Cameron and his team have pulled out all the stops to make Avatar 2 so much more than its original film, and the introduction of new species to Pandora will make it just that. The Tulkun, Skimwing, and the Ilu will all face the Sully family and it will be interesting to see how it all plays out. Creators have reported that the Tulkun grows up to 300 foot long!
28. CGI Overload
Image Source / Y.M.Cinema
As I’m sure it doesn’t come as too much of a surprise, Avatar 2 is only 40 percent live acting and the remaining 60 percent is created with photo-realistic CGI. This explains why the technical equipment was so vital to the creation of the film, and why it took over a decade for the appropriate technology to be developed.
29. This Movie Is A Tearjerker!
Image Source / Variety
By the sounds of things we’re in for quite the emotional rollercoaster with Avatar 2. The family element has been confirmed to add a new dimension of character and emotion that the first film lacked. Starring actress Zoe Saldaña was reported saying that she was allowed to see just 20 minutes of the finished product which left her ‘speechless, and in tears’.
30. Why So Blue?
Image Source / Mind Life TV
Avatar’s most notable feature is the blue Na’vis on the fictional world Pandora, but did you know how this all came about? Allegedly their blue completion came about from a dream that James Cameron’s mother had about a giant blue woman. It really is fascinating how one small element of a dream can create science fiction history!
