Almost three years after its release, James Cameron‘s Avatar: The Way of Water is once again trending, but this time on streaming. According to FlixPatrol, the film is currently in the Disney+ Top 10 charts in 50+ countries, including the United States. The timing also feels perfect because there is less than a month to go before the next chapter arrives in cinemas. Avatar: Fire and Ash is set to release on December 19.
The Way of Water picks up 16 years after the events of 2009’s Avatar and shows Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) now leading a family of five children. The film also expands Pandora’s world by introducing a new coastal Na’vi clan that lives closely with the ocean and its creatures. The next chapter, Fire and Ash, is ready to push things further by bringing in another, more aggressive and hostile Ash Clan who live in a volcanic biome and feel abandoned by Eywa after a catastrophic eruption destroyed their home.
The sudden spike in The Way of Water’s viewership also comes just weeks after the movie was re-released in theaters for a limited run on October 3. Its original release grossed an enormous $2.32 billion worldwide, making it the third-highest-grossing film of all time, right behind the first Avatar and Avengers: Endgame. The re-release added another $22 million to that total, bringing the film’s global total to $2.34 billion.
Is It Necessary to Watch ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Before ‘Fire and Ash’?
When speaking about the re-release, Cameron made it clear that he doesn’t want to send the message that audiences need to see The Way of Water to understand Fire and Ash. He emphasized, “Fire and Ash is a fully formed storytelling unit on its own; you don’t need to do your homework.” But he also noted that seeing The Way of Water first will definitely deepen the emotional impact of the next movie. Fire and Ash will explore the fallout from the major character death in the previous film and how it shapes Jake and Neytiri’s relationship. Cameron also stressed the importance of Spider (Jack Champion), Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), and Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), whose story arcs began in The Way of Water and will come to real fruition in the third installment.
Avatar: The Way of Water is available to stream on Disney+. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Avatar: The Way of Water
- Release Date
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December 16, 2022
- Runtime
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192 minutes
- Director
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James Cameron
- Writers
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Amanda Silver, James Cameron, Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Shane Salerno
