James Cameron's Avatar Sequel Is Officially Called Avatar: The Way Of Water

The title of the first Avatar sequel has been unveiled.

Walt Disney Studios confirmed that Avatar: The Way of Water will be released in cinemas in the US on Dec 16 — and Dec 15 in Singapore — at the CinemaCon event at Las Vegas' Caesars Palace on Wednesday (Apr 27).

Besides the title reveal, Cameron also previewed footage from the highly-anticipated sequel. The trailer is expected to drop in cinemas ahead of Marvel's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness next week. 

Here are some of the reactions from the attendees:

A synopsis read: "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), 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 cast includes Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Yeoh, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, Giovanni Ribisi, and Kate Winslet.

In order "to whet audiences' appetites", the original 2009 flick —  which grossed US$2.8 billion (S$3.9 bil) worldwide —  will be re-released in US cinemas on Sept 23.

Saldana, who reprises her role as Neytiri, recently teased that she was reduced to tears watching an emotional clip from the upcoming film.

She told Kevin McCarthy — the entertainment reporter, not the Minority Leader of the US House of Representatives  — last month: "I can get choked up just talking about it. I was able to see just 20 minutes of the second instalment, right before the year ended, last year. And I was speechless. I was moved to tears."

The movie has taken so long to make as Cameron needed the right technology to record motion capture underwater and Zoe promised the blockbuster will be worth the wait.

The Guardians of the Galaxy actress said: "Jim was finally able to crack that challenge — that whole thing that you can't imitate water, virtually, through performance capture.

"That was just a challenge that he had taken upon himself, and it took him years, and he did it. He did it. It's powerful, it's compelling."

There are a total of four sequels planned for the franchise: Following The Way of Water, the others are projected to hit the big screen in Dec 2024,  in Dec 2026, and in Dec 2028.

Avatar: The Way of Water opens in Singapore cinemas on Dec 15. 

—  BANG SHOWBIZ