Avatar 2 is officially titled Avatar: The Way of Water; James Cameron film finally gets release date

The title of the Avatar sequel has formally been announced. The film is called Avatar: The Way of Water, it was announced on Wednesday night at CinemaCon. The James Cameron film has been in production for several years and is one of the most anticipated releases of all time. And after months of speculation, 20th Century Studios–the studio producing it–has also announced a formal release date. The film is set to release on December 16, 2022. The Way of the Water follows the events of Avatar and focuses on the Sully family. Also read: Titles for Avatar sequels revealed? Water planets, new tribes teased for James Cameron’s magnum opus

CinemaCon is an annual convention of movie theatre owners and the 2022 edition is underway in Las Vegas from April 25-28. Every year, the event sees first look reveals, trailers, and announcements of several big films before they are released to the public. Apart from the title reveal, two scenes from the film were also shown at CinemaCon. Those who saw the footage, such as Screen Rant, say that the film is upping the scale of the first film and shows newer Na’vi tribes, particularly those living close to the water.

Avatar 2 is the second film in the planned five-film franchise. As per a release from Disney, Avatar: The Way of Water is set more than a decade after the events of the first film and begins to tell the story of the Sully family. Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) have created a small family and now they must protect them from new dangers. The film chronices 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.

Avatar, which released in 2009, emerged as the highest-grossing film of all time with a total box office earnings of $2.84 billion globally. It was the first film to cross the $2 billion mark. To whet audiences’ appetites, the studio will re-release Avatar in theatres on September 23, less than three months before the sequel comes out. Industry analysts say this is being done to introduce the franchise to newer audiences, who may have missed it as the film released 13 years ago.

Directed by James Cameron and produced by Cameron and Jon Landau, Avatar: The Way of Water also stars Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, Giovanni Ribisi, and Kate Winslet.