Kate Winslet, who previously worked with director James Cameron on Titanic, appears in Avatar: The Way of Water.
Avatar: The Way to Water, the sequel to the biggest movie of all time, had its world premiere in London.
Its much-delayed release comes 13 years after the original sci-fi film, which was released in 2009.
Director James Cameron was joined on the blue carpet in Leicester Square by stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and Kate Winslet.
The Avatar series is set on the lush planet of Pandora where the existence of the Na’vi people is threatened.
Speaking at the premiere, Weaver said the film has “family” as the central theme over the environment as it is more “universal and relatable”.
“It was a joy to be part of that family, we were at each other’s throats sometimes, Jim [Cameron] wanted that … for us to pull a little from each other, also to have fun and it’s very a real family,” she said.
Here are some photos from Tuesday’s world premiere in London, and you can find more information about the film further down.
Actress Zoe Saldaña, who also starred in the original film, will reprise her role in Avatar: The Way of Water.
Actor Sam Worthington, pictured with wife Laura, is also returning to the franchise for the Avatar sequel.
Director James Cameron, pictured with his wife Suzy Amis, is planning three more sequels after this one
Actress Sigourney Weaver was also among the stars seen at the film’s world premiere in London’s Leicester Square.
Actress Bailey Bass has joined the cast to play Tsireya, a young Na’vi from the Metkayina clan.
Other stars spotted on the blue carpet included Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am
Famous faces also include Star Wars actor John Boyega
Model Jourdan Dunn was also seen posing for photographers ahead of the film’s premiere
Here are the answers to some burning questions Earthlings may have about Avatar: The Last Airbender.
What’s the story?
Image source, 20th Century Studios
The character Jake Sully (Worthington) seen with one of his children
The first film followed a paralyzed sailor Jake Sully (played by Worthington) as he traveled to the planet of Pandora, where he took on an avatar body.
He ended up joining the planet’s indigenous population in fighting an attempt by humans to destroy their home to obtain a precious mineral.
The Via di l’Acqua was installed several years later. Jake now has a family with Neytiri (Saldaña), and follows his new life on Pandora.
When was it originally to be released?
When was it originally due to be released?
In 2010, a year after the original Avatar, 20th Century Fox (as the company was then called, before it was sold to Disney) said that there would be two sequels, and that the first of those would be released in December 2014.
That goal was a bit ambitious. And for the next few years, a regular story out of Hollywood was that the release date had been pushed back.
December 2014 became December 2016. Which became December 2017. Which became December 2018. You get the idea. Anyway, it’s finally out next week, Friday, December 16, 2022.
Why has it taken so long?
Image source, 20th Century Studios
Much of the film takes place in the oceans of the planet Pandora
Cameron pitched a version of an Avatar sequel that, after writing, he decided would not deliver.
The Canadian filmmaker also has a life outside of cinema, and has spent some time exploring the deep ocean (although perhaps that counts as research for the new film, much of which takes place in and under water).
Cameron also wanted to explain four sequences. And to take full advantage of new filming developments in the world of motion capture and CGI.
How long is it?
Well, it’s not Cameron’s longest film. That honor goes to Titanic, which clocks in at 3 hours and 15 minutes.
But Avatar: The Last Airbender isn’t too far off. Avatar 2, as it may otherwise be called, has a running time of about 3 hours and 12 minutes.
A little less if you dive out at the beginning of the long final credits!
Who’s in it?
L-R: Kate Winslet, Sigourney Weaver, James Cameron, Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington at the London premiere
Original season stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña are back.
So does Sigourney Weaver who – (spoiler alert) – died in the original film.
They are joined by young newcomers Jack Champion, James Flatters and Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, alongside Oscar winner Kate Winslet.
What have the cast said?
Speaking about the sequel’s plot on Tuesday, Saldana said: “It seems like a natural progression for someone like Jake and Neytiri.
“That’s the natural course they decided to follow, is to start a family and keep that family together, protect that family.”
Director James Cameron said that his dreams inspired the film’s dreamscapes
Earlier in the evening, Cameron confirmed on The One Show that he found inspiration from his dreams. “I just think dreams are my own private streaming service that runs every night for free,” he joked.
“I think I do a lot of work in my dreams and I see a lot of imagery, sometimes [I] get up and sometimes I write. With some of the things for Avatar when I was in college, I jumped and did. paintings. .. so this has been going on for a while.”
He added: “I always dream of being underwater with amazing animals swimming around and that kind of thing, so it’s just kind of working out all the subconscious imagery.”
How much money did the original make?
How much money did the original make?
It made a total of $2.92bn (£2.39bn) at the global box office, and is the biggest film of all time (not adjusted for inflation).
He briefly lost his title at Avengers: Endgame in 2019, but regained it after Avatar was relaunched.
Image source, 20th Century Studios
The original Avatar movie is the greatest movie of all time
Will I need 3D glasses to see it?
Will I need 3D glasses to see it?
The film was released in a variety of formats. Including 3D, 2D and Imax. So no one will force you to watch it in 3D if you don’t want to.
But the perceived wisdom is that a big part of the original’s appeal was its incredibly immersive 3D sequences.
How many more sequels are planned?
How many more sequels are planned?
Currently a total of four sequels are planned, including this one.
Avatar 2 comes out next week, of course, while Avatar 3 has already been shot, and is due for release in 2024.
Avatar 4 has been partially shot ahead of a release scheduled for 2026. And Avatar 5 has a finished script. If it is done, and there is a question mark about it, it will be out in 2028.
The uncertainty is because of the cost of the films. The Way of Water had a budget of over $350m (£287m) which means it needs to be a big hit at the box office to recoup its money.
If it’s a relative failure, it’s hard to see Disney putting hundreds of millions more into ending a series they think the viewing public might have lost interest in.
Image source, 20th Century Studios
Kate Winslet plays a character named Ronal
Do the sequels have names yet?
In 2018, BBC News revealed that the expected titles were The Way of Water, The Seed Bearer, The Tulkun Rider and The Quest for Eywa.
The Via di l’Acqua was finally confirmed in April of this year. Only James Cameron knows if he will stick with the other titles.
What are the chances of The Way of Water at the Oscars?
What are The Way of Water’s chances at the Oscars?
The original was nominated for nine Oscars, including best picture, losing to The Hurt Locker.
Its wins include best production design and best visual effects. Many expect that a similar exhibition is possible at the Academy Awards 2023.
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