It's been 13 years since the first movie came out but as of next year, the wait for Avatar 2 is finally over. James Cameron has recently been drip-feeding fans tidbits in the long run up to the highly-anticipated release, and an interesting new character photo emerged this week.
The first Avatar movie hit screens way back in 2009 but actually started development after Cameron wrote a treatment for the film in 1994 - but the technology needed to create the world he envisioned did not yet exist. The screenplay was only properly started in 2006 after which Cameron, who is famous for championing innovative technology in film, collaborated with digital visual effects company Weta Digital to create groundbreaking new effects and utilse extensive new motion capture techniques. The movie was released in 3D to much critical aclaim, some easily smashed box office records, and three Oscars, too. It's safe to say that there's a lot to live up to for the second installment.
Cameron spoke to Empire about the pressures of a sequel to Avatar and what the audience can look forward to. 13 years have also passed on Pandora, the planet of the Na'vi people, and a lot appears to have changed for protagonists Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldańa). Jake and Neytiri now have their own children and own flock and, as a new picture reveals, a human child: the character of Spider, AKA Miles Socorro, played by Jack Champion. Producer Jon Landau told Empire of the conflict this causes, whereby Neytiri sees him has one of the evil humans who killed her father and destroyed their home, but Jake decides to take him in anyway. The image shows Spider in human form rather than using a Na'vi avatar, and he appears to be either on the hunt for something or hiding from something.
The character of Spider and his role in the family could bring an interesting angle to the Avatar 2 plot. With the first movie, Cameron was accused by some of relying on a "white savior" trope, where a native people are seen as backwards and are only saved after a breakaway member of the invading culture takes the lead and fulfils the role of a kind of heroic "chosen one." Indeed, Landau went on to explain to Empire that in the sequel Jake and Neytiri are “like a modern mixed-race couple, raising kids who perhaps feel they don’t belong to one world or another,” indicating there could be some thoughtful consideration and exploration of this criticism.
Of course, the first movie also had some incredible action scenes and stunning visuals, and it seems audiences can look forward to more of this because much of the movie takes place underwater. Recently released Avatar 2 set photos and concept art excitingly showcased these new locations.
Avatar 2 is set to release in theaters on December 16th, 2022.
Source: Empire