Original Avatar Film Heads Back to Theaters With Remastered Picture and Sound

The record-breaking first Avatar film by James Cameron is being re-released in theaters with remastered picture and sound. Producer Jon Landau made the announcement at CinemaCon, where the motion picture industry has assembled to get all the latest news on new projects and upcoming movies. Director James Cameron has been hard at work on bringing Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 to theaters. We also got the news that Avatar 2 now has the official title Avatar: The Way of Water. As for the original Avatar, it arrives back in theaters this fall on September 23rd.

It was also confirmed that the first trailer for Avatar: The Way of Water will screen exclusively in theaters with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Disney’s reported thinking was to duplicate Sony Pictures’ success with Spider-Man: No Way Home, which co-starred Doctor Strange 2 star Benedict Cumberbatch and helped set up the sequel’s events.

20th Century Studios President Steve Asbell spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about juggling the company’s transition under Disney and navigating feature films with streaming and television deals. The topic of conversation soon turned to Avatar 2’s 2022 release, with Asbell quickly responding that the movie will make its way to theaters later this year. 

With no hesitation, Asbell replied, “Yes. It will,” when asked about Avatar 2‘s release. He then added, “For real. It’s going to blow people away. You’re not ready for what Jim is doing.”

Asbell was then asked about how 20th Century Studio plans to market the movie since it will have been over 10 years since the first Avatar was released. “I can tell you that there is no better marketing apparatus in the business than the one at Disney,” he said. “They will do an incredible job reigniting that passion for the original film. This is not just a sequel, it’s a saga. And it’s a family saga. It will be compelling on its own, but it will also be extremely compelling to return to those characters and to see how they’ve evolved. It’s less about Avatar being a really big movie and more about how Avatar was a really important cultural moment for audiences. I don’t think it will be hard to convince people to come back.”

The synopsis for Avatar: The Way of Water reads: “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. Directed by James Cameron and produced by Cameron and Jon Landau, the film stars Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, Giovanni Ribisi, and Kate Winslet. To whet audiences’ appetites, the studio will re-release Avatar in theaters on September 23.”

Are you excited to see the original Avatar back in theaters? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!