Almost 13 years to the day after James Cameron unveiled his 3D sci-fi epic Avatar in Leicester Square in London, the filmmaker is back in town to present the world premiere of the sequel Avatar: The Way of the Water.
Attendees of Tuesday’s massive enterprise, including director/producer/co-writer Cameron, producer Jon Landau and cast members Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang and Kate Winslet, walked a carpet blue laid out in the square before the premiere tonight.
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The image of 20th century studios is being screened simultaneously in two cinemas in Leicester Square this evening, such was the anticipation for the sequel to the world’s highest-grossing film.
From the stage inside the Odeon West End, Cameron said: “Thank you for coming. I don’t know about you, it’s a pretty surreal moment for me that we’re done with the movie. Five years of production and five years spanning a really dark time. The pandemic hit, we were completely shut down. I despaired that this art form that I love and to which I have devoted four decades is over. We finally got back to work but we didn’t know if there would be cinemas. It was finished ? But here we are.
“Theaters are full again and moviegoers around the world have said loudly that we need it. We need this ability to come together to sit in these big dark spaces and dream together with our eyes wide open in a cinema. For me tonight is not news Avatar film. This is cinema, and here you are in your finery. It’s a celebration of this art form that we love so much. It’s back, it’s alive and it’s as awesome as ever.
While Cameron and Landau talked in this smaller room, attendees around the corner from Odeon Leicester Square were treated to music by a live orchestra. Cameron and Landau then took it back to the main cinema and took the stage with actors in tow before the screening.
The cast and filmmakers have been in London since Sunday to promote the film, which Disney begins rolling out globally from December 14, with domestic joining on December 16.
Avatar: The Way of the Water takes place more than a decade after the events of the first film. It focuses on the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri and their children), the troubles that follow them, the lengths they go to protect themselves, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure while let them strive to protect their home on Pandora.
Disney, Cameron and Landau circled footage from the film, shown at June’s CineEurope conference in Barcelona and at D23 in September, as well as China Film Group executives (a China release has been confirmed day and date with North America on December 16).
Disney also released a 4K HDR remastered version of the original film in September to set the stage for the sequel, and included tagged stealth footage at the end.
Avatar: The Way of the Water followed last month with an expected opening of at least $150 million. Tracking is higher at nearly $175 million, but rivals are bullish at $200 million. Advance tickets went on sale two weeks ago for the photo, which lasts 3 hours and 12 minutes.
The 2009 original grossed $2.9 billion at the worldwide box office and after a few re-releases is the highest-grossing film of all time. Nationally, it stands at $785.2 million, where it ranks fourth all-time.
