‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ to release on Dec 16

After at least seven delays in the last eight years (the film was originally supposed to open in 2014), director James Cameron is finally ready to show audiences his otherworldly, underwater vision for ‘Avatar’s’ long-awaited sequel. It’s newly titled as ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ reports Variety.

Disney, which inherited the franchise after acquiring 20th Century Fox in 2019, unveiled new footage of the highly anticipated film at CinemaCon, the annual gathering of movie theater owners that’s currently unfolding at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

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 — and 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.

The trailer will debut exclusively in theaters ahead of Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ on May 6.

‘Avatar 2’ debuts on December 16, with sequels to come on December 20, 2024, Decemeber 18, 2026, and December 22, 2028.

‘The Way of Water’ footage capped off Disney’s 90-minute CinemaCon presentation, which also showcased exclusive footage from ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness;’ ‘Lightyear,’ a ‘Toy Story’ spinoff about Andy’s beloved toy; David O. Russell’s new film ‘Amsterdam’ and ‘Bob’s Burgers.’