Debuting on digital March 31st and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and DVD on May 19th, is the box office blockbuster ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, which is the third film in the popular franchise and was once again directed by Oscar winner James Cameron (‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day‘).
(L to R) Oona Chaplin and Stephen Lang star in ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, which will be available on digital March 31st.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of visiting James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment offices to sit down and speak with actors Oona Chaplin and Stephen Lang about their work on ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, what it was like for Chaplin to join the franchise and her approach to her character, Lang’s experience working on the films and his character’s arc, collaborating with James Cameron on set, and why Cameron reminds Chaplin of her grandfather, Charlie Chaplin.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Chaplin, Lang, and producer Rae Sanchini.
Moviefone: To begin with, Oona, what was it like for you to join this franchise and did you understand right away how you wanted to play your character, or did you find it when you were working on set?
Oona Chaplin: Joining the franchise, I mean, it’s still kind of like, I’m pinching myself. It’s a very strange thing to feel like it was a dream I didn’t even know I had, and it came true. I remember watching ‘Avatar’ and falling in love with the world, but it felt so far away from me. So, I’m speechless to be a part of it, and to not just be a part of the franchise, but to have really felt welcomed in by a family, and to feel so much love, intimacy, connection, respect, and care for the people. So, it’s special and it’s a unique feeling. Then the second part of the question is, did I find the character right away? I think a part of me did. I kind of connected with her anger quickly. At the time I was angry about the state of the world, and I could connect with the visceral injustice of, why is this happening? But weirdly, through playing her, I learned to come to a greater place of peace within myself because I don’t want to be like Varang, especially before my first coffee in the morning, my husband can attest it. There are some striking similarities. There’s a little bit in there wanting to get out.
MF: Stephen, what has it been like for you to be part of this franchise and play this incredible character over three films?
Stephen Lang: Well, first, it validates my career choices. I would say I’m delighted that I became an actor, and it’s the kind of thing that you do dream about. I think when you talk about the arc of the character, that really is the key to me. I started in this one place, and he’s moved into completely different realms. So, much of it has been surprising to me, even though I know the story, and I’ve read it, I know where it goes. But to experience it, and to share it with my amazing colleagues that I’ve had starting with Sam (Worthington) at the beginning, and then to be gifted to be working within Oona Chaplin, has been just a great experience. So, no matter whatever happens from now on, it’s like I’m always a part of this. It’s funny, ‘Avatar’, in some aspect, enters my life every day. You know what I mean? Something happens that’s Pandora-ish to me. I meet someone who’s doing a little Varang kind of a thing on me, or whatever it is. It’s just being part of this family, it’s just always there. I mean, my life was good before but since ‘Avatar’, it’s just so enriched by the relationships that I have.
MF: Stephen, can you talk about working with James Cameron on these three films and watching him execute his unique vision for this world?
SL: I mean, my respect and affection for Jim are boundless because he gave me the role. But it goes well beyond that to me. I just have an appreciation for him as a visionary guy in so many respects. To me, I’ve said this before, and I stand by it, he really is the Leonardo (da Vinci) of our age, and by that, I mean not just an artistic visionary, but an engineer, an inventor, and an explorer. The thing is, every character in this franchise is a manifestation of Jim, and a part of him. He is a guy, I believe, who runs towards danger. Why else would you go to the deepest part of the planet in a submarine that you yourself have designed? But working with him, we have a lot of fun together. We’re tough on each other, I think. But I just feel such support and mutual respect and affection.
MF: Finally, Oona, can you talk about working with James Cameron and what have you learned from watching the specific way he makes movies?
OC: It was just a master class every single day. Because this universe wouldn’t have existed without his brain, but also his heart. He cares so much about this world, about Pandora, about the people in it, and he’s so curious. He really treasures questions, and he will do everything in his power to answer the good questions. He’s got this incredible rigor, and it’s incredible to live in, because he brings the best out of everybody. I could go on for hours and hours because it is boundless, and to work with that love, that breadth of genius is very humbling and inspiring. He’s the person that reminds me the most, of my grandfather, Charlie Chaplin, because of the way that he is pushing the boundaries of cinema, technology, and storytelling.
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ will be available on digital March 31st.
What is the plot of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’?
A year after settling in with the Metkayina clan, Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldaña) family grapples with grief after Neteyam’s death. They encounter a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Mangkwan clan, also called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang (Oona Chaplin), who has allied with Jake’s enemy, Quaritch (Stephen Lang), as the conflict on Pandora escalates to devastating consequences.
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ has now crossed a billion dollars at the worldwide box office.
James Cameron’s latest has earned $306 million domestically.
Disney has now release three billion-dollar grossers in the past 12 months.
The changing of the seasons. The tides of the sea. Immutable.
Add to that list the power of director James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ franchise entries to earn a billion dollars, with the latest, ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, crossing that point today according to studio backers Walt Disney.
FWuSGLyAAvtzTcYFpQsOf6
The official figures are that ‘Fire and Ash’ has earned more than $306 million from domestic box office and $777.1 million internationally. All in all… a billion and counting. Which makes three billion-dollar worldwide titles for Disney released in 2025, as ‘Fire and Ash’ joins ‘Lilo & Stitch’ and ‘Zootopia 2’.
A year after settling in with the Metkayina clan, Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldaña) family grapples with grief after Neteyam’s death. They encounter a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Mangkwan clan, also called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang (Oona Chaplin), who has allied with Jake’s enemy, Quaritch (Stephen Lang), as the conflict on Pandora escalates to devastating consequences.
The latest entry has been praised for its visuals and its sweeping scope, though both reviewers and audiences have still been less enamored of it in general.
Still, that clearly hasn’t hurt its box office power. The bigger question is whether it can match the previous movies, which both crossed two billion. All told, the franchise has earned more than $6.35 billion to date.
“This can be the last one. There’s only one unanswered question in the story. We may find that the release of ‘Avatar 3’ proves how diminished the cinematic experience is these days, or we may find it proves the case that it’s as strong as it ever was — but only for certain types of films. It’s a coin toss right now. We won’t know until the middle of January.”
And regardless of the final performance, the filmmaker himself is feeling like he might be ready to move on:
“I feel I’m at a bit of a crossroads. Do I want it to be a wild success — which almost compels me to continue and make two more ‘Avatar’ movies? Or do I want it to fail just enough that I can justify doing something else?”
He has a variety of other projects in the works, with an adaptation of Charles Pellegrino’s book ‘Ghosts of Hiroshima’ among them. So he may also feel like stepping away completely or handing the ‘Avatar’ directing duties to someone else. As always, though, the decision rests in Cameron’s hands.
Almost 30 years after he first said it, James Cameron is still “The King of the World.”
Cameron is the highest grossing filmmaker in history having directed 3 of the top 4 highest grossing movies of all time including ‘Avatar‘, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water‘ and ‘Titanic‘, with each film making over $2 billion dollars each.
1982’s ‘Piranha II: The Spawning’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.
A scuba diving instructor, her biochemist boyfriend, and her police chief ex-husband try to link a series of bizarre deaths to a mutant strain of piranha fish whose lair is a sunken freighter ship off a Caribbean island resort.
A woman and an engineered man are sent in a gigantic sentient starship to search space for a place to start a new life cycle. Raj decides to take a look around the ship. He comes across a gigantic robotic cleaner. Combat ensues.
(L to R) Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Ed Harris in ‘The Abyss’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
A civilian oil rig crew is recruited to conduct a search and rescue effort when a nuclear submarine mysteriously sinks. One diver (Ed Harris) soon finds himself on a spectacular odyssey 25,000 feet below the ocean’s surface where he confronts a mysterious force that has the power to change the world or destroy it.
(L to R) Jack Champion and Stephen Lang in director James Cameron’s ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’ Photo: Walt Disney Studios.
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, learn the story of the Sully family (Jake (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), 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.
(L to R) Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis in ‘True Lies’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
A fearless, globe-trotting, terrorist-battling secret agent (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has his life turned upside down when he discovers his wife (Jamie Lee Curtis) might be having an affair with a used car salesman (Bill Paxton) while terrorists smuggle nuclear war heads into the United States.
In the wake of the devastating war against the RDA and the loss of their eldest son, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) face a new threat on Pandora: the Ash People, a violent and power-hungry Na’vi tribe led by the ruthless Varang (Oona Chaplin). Jake’s family must fight for their survival and the future of Pandora in a conflict that pushes them to their emotional and physical limits.
(L to R) Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña in ‘Avatar’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
In the 22nd century, a paraplegic Marine (Sam Worthington) is dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission, but becomes torn between following orders and protecting an alien civilization.
Arnold Schwarzenegger in ‘The Terminator’. Photo: Orion Pictures.
In the post-apocalyptic future, reigning tyrannical supercomputers teleport a cyborg assassin known as the “Terminator” (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whose unborn son is destined to lead insurgents against 21st century mechanical hegemony. Meanwhile, the human-resistance movement dispatches a lone warrior (Michael Biehn) to safeguard Sarah. Can he stop the virtually indestructible killing machine?
(L to R) Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in ‘Titanic’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
101-year-old Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) tells the story of her life aboard the Titanic, 84 years later. A young Rose (Kate Winslet) boards the ship with her mother (Frances Fisher) and fiancé (Billy Zane). Meanwhile, Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Fabrizio De Rossi (Danny Nucci) win third-class tickets aboard the ship. Rose tells the whole story from Titanic’s departure through to its death—on its first and last voyage—on April 15, 1912.
(L to R) Sigourney Weaver and Carrie Henn in ‘Aliens’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), the sole survivor of the Nostromo’s deadly encounter with the monstrous Alien, returns to Earth after drifting through space in hypersleep for 57 years. Although her story is initially met with skepticism, she agrees to accompany a team of Colonial Marines back to LV-426.
Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator in ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day.’
Ten years after the events of the original, a reprogrammed T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger)is sent back in time to protect young John Connor (Edward Furlong) from the shape-shifting T-1000. Together with his mother Sarah (Linda Hamilton), he fights to stop Skynet from triggering a nuclear apocalypse.
I walked away from watching ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ having the same reaction I did to the last two ‘Avatar’ movies. I thought it was a completely entertaining and stunningly visual theatrical experience, and I will probably never watch it again. It’s a one-time theatrical experience, not unlike an amusement park ride or seeing a concert at The Sphere, it’s extremely satisfying, but only once.
The movie is meant to be seen in 3D on the biggest screen possible surrounded by an audience, and in that way, ‘Fire and Ash’ is a huge triumph, and another cinematic extravaganza from the “King of the World” James Cameron. But, with vague characters that never grow or change, a limited plot and almost no real story to tell, I fear the movie will not hold up in repeat viewings, especially on smaller home screens, with no real substance outside of the visual spectacle.
Following the events of ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’, ‘Fire and Ash’ finds Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldaña) family dealing with the aftermath or their son Neteyam’s (Jamie Flatters) death. With their adopted son Spider’s (Jack Champion) breathing mask running out of battery, they plan to travel back to Dr. Spellman’s (Joel David Moore) base to get a new mask but are attacked by a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Mangkwan clan, also called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang (Oona Chaplin).
Meanwhile, Spider’s birthfather and Jake’s sworn enemy Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) is still in hot pursuit of Jake and his family. Soon, Quaritch makes a deal with the Mangkwan clan and teams up with Varang to wipe out Jake and his clan. Now, Jake and his family must fight Quaritch and the Mangkwan clan to save Spider, their people, and the planet from destruction.
That’s the basic plot, and let’s be honest, it’s a little thin. The visual effects and the world building that Cameron has created masks it in the first viewing, but once you take this movie out of the incredible theatrical experience, I fear the film will have nothing valuable to offer.
But it’s not just the story that is thin, there is also no real character development, and the characters are more like archetypes than real people. There are also so many characters that it’s hard to get enough time to really care about any of them. Kate Winslet’s Ronal, who was a lead in the last film is barely in this one, and even Zoe Saldaña’s Neytiri, arguably the heart of the franchise, is regulated to the background. And the two main characters of the franchise, Jake and Quaritch, now seem like characterizations of the actual characters they once played.
But at the end of the day, I guess you’re not going to an ‘Avatar’ movie for a great story or in-depth character development, you are going for the visuals and the spectacle, and in that sense, Cameron delivers a home run crafting a must-see theatrical experience. It’s kind of like eating at McDonald’s, the foods not good for you, but it tastes great going down!
With a script, story, and characters as poorly crafted as this, it seems almost unfair to criticize the actors and their performances as I’m sure they did their best, but here we go.
After three films, and almost 20 years of playing the character, you would hope for more from Sam Worthington. His Jake Sully is still the heroic leader, but we really know very little about the character at this point other than he wants to protect his family and the actor’s performance is one-note at best.
As previously mentioned, it was shocking to see how limited screen time Zoe Saldaña and Kate Winslet’s characters had, especially considering Saldaña was really the lead of the first film, and Winslet the lead of the second. Neither actress has enough to do in this installment, which is disappointing and a waste of the two Oscar winning actress’ talents.
However, the one standout performance of the film is from new edition Oona Chaplin, who gives a fiery performance as Mangkwan clan leader Varang. Actor Jack Champion is also quite compelling as Spider this time around, growing into the part and surprisingly having a bigger role in the story in this new installment.
While somewhat limited, legendary actress Sigourney Weaver returns as both Dr. Grace Augustine and her Avatar’s daughter, Kiri, who was also adopted by Jake and his family. Augustine may not appear on screen for long, but Kiri is a major part of the story and Weaver is excellent playing the rebellious teenage Na’vi.
Giovanni Ribisi and Edie Falco also return as members of the evil RDA military and mining operations, but like many of the other excellent actors in this film, are given very little to do other than move the plot forward with exposition.
Finally, Stephen Lang still plays Colonel Miles Quaritch like a generic villain, and while he does have some great moments with both Chaplin and Champion, the character, who technically died in the first movie, hasn’t changed at all and is still playing the same note.
While the story and character development are almost nonexistent, and the dialogue at times is laughable, director James Cameron still delivers a visually stunning and completely satisfying and entertaining theatrical experience, even if it will only work in your first viewing. ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ is worth spending money to see it in a theater, but after that, you can forget about it and will probably never revisit the film again.
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ receives a score of 79 out of 100.
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ opens in theaters on December 19th.
What is the plot of ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’?
A year after settling in with the Metkayina clan, Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldaña) family grapples with grief after Neteyam’s death. They encounter a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Mangkwan clan, also called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang (Oona Chaplin), who has allied with Jake’s enemy, Quaritch (Stephen Lang), as the conflict on Pandora escalates to devastating consequences.
With the third ‘Avatar’ movie, ‘Fire and Ash,’ headed our way next month, the promotional efforts on behalf of the franchise as a whole are ramping up.
And chief among them is this new behind-the-scenes documentary, which, thanks to its being commissioned by James Cameron, has full access to the production and the many talented people involved in these giant undertakings.
The big issue, of course, is that it’s almost entirely laudatory, the various cast and crew enthusing about how much technology is used in service of performance, to the point where it can become grating.
Script and Direction
Director James Cameron at D23 2024 presenting ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo: Disney.
This is your basic Disney documentary format –– lots of footage of people working out the various of shooting performance capture in and under water, development trials, many, many shots of divers, all interspersed with talking heads about the process.
It doesn’t push boundaries the way Cameron tends to when he makes movies, but then, it doesn’t really need to.
As the documentary itself endlessly argues, it’s the people that make the film itself work –– the various experts in diving, stunts, cameras and more, plus the actors who were the benefit of their hard work and put their own graft in to imagining everything while acting against almost nothing.
The highlights include Kate Winslet discovering a heretofore unknown talent for holding her breath and Sigourney Weaver explaining her joy at performing certain scenes.
Perhaps the biggest issue here is that it’s all so basic; in stark contrast to the huge leaps in technology and the many inventions of Cameron especially. While a lot of the footage will be catnip (Na’vi-nip?) to those who love behind-the-scenes documentaries, it also gets awfully repetitive, battering home the message that the invention was in service of the actors’ work.
And given that it’s confusingly broken up into a 55-minute chunk and a roughly 30-minute one (plus a brief clip of ‘Fire and Ash’), some judicious editing could have squeezed this all down into little more than an hour. But since when does James Cameron do anything small scale?
‘Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films’ receives 68 out of 100.
What’s the story of ‘Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films’?
This new two-part documentary provides a fascinating glimpse into the making of the Oscar-winning box office phenomenon ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ and a first look at the upcoming ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ and features exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, concept art, and interviews with cast and filmmakers.
Who is in the cast of ‘Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films’?
Lily James in Bleecker Street’s ‘Relay’. Credit: Bleecker Street.
Featuring a terrific central performance from Riz Ahmed, ‘Relay’ is styled very much in the mold of classic paranoid thrillers from the 1970s like ‘The Parallax View’ and ‘The Conversation.’ It’s not quite as intense and expansive as those, and its third act falls back into a series of rote reveals and action beats, but for its first two-thirds, the film builds an impressive level of tension and dread – not to mention that its primary plot device is an ingenious hook for the story.
Story and Direction
Riz Ahmed in Bleecker Street’s ‘Relay’. Credit: Bleecker Street.
Ash (Riz Ahmed) is a solitary fixer who helps whistleblowers – but not in the way you might expect. Instead of assisting them to expose the corporation they’ve been working for, Ash helps the would-be whistleblower (who may have second thoughts or is afraid) return whatever incriminating documents or information they have, in exchange for a substantial payout, a new life, and a promise to be left alone.
A former whistleblower himself, Ash employs a third-party relay service – a phone and text network ostensibly meant for people with hearing disabilities, and the most fascinating aspect of the movie – to ensure that his communications with his clients are anonymous, untraceable, and secure. Ash’s next case is a scientist named Sarah Grant (Lily James), who is being harassed by operatives of the biotech company for which she used to work. She has some devastating information on the company that she wants to give back, and Ash agrees to help her, with all their exchanges conducted through the relay service.
Ash also monitors his clients from afar – and sometimes from right next to them, since they don’t know who he is – and in the case of Sarah, he begins to develop an attraction that threatens the wall of protection that he’s carefully constructed around himself. Sarah begins to take interest in her silent benefactor as well, even though her former employer’s attack dogs – led by the ruthless Dawson (Sam Worthington) – are doing everything possible to destroy her or worse.
A scene from Bleecker Street’s ‘Relay’. Credit: Bleecker Street.
David Mackenzie, who directed the excellent ‘Hell or High Water’ in 2016, wrings tons of suspense out of ‘Relay’ for its first two-thirds, with the relay service creating a unique layer of separation between Ash and his clients that emphasizes both Ash’s paranoia and the danger of the work he does. Just as he channeled the classic Western in a modern setting for ‘Hell,’ Mackenzie invokes the thrillers of the ‘70s – right down to the gritty urban setting, in this case New York City – and lures you in as we watch Ash go through every meticulous detail of his business, wondering if and when he might finally slip up.
It’s only in the third act of Justin Piasecki’s script that ‘Relay’ begins to unravel, as a series of more conventional action beats, as well as a twist that you can sense coming about halfway through the movie, replace the movie’s slow-burn, simmering narrative with something resembling a more conventional action programmer. It’s not a fatal flaw but it takes the edge off ‘Relay’ just as the movie should be really catching fire.
Cast and Performances
Sam Worthington in Bleecker Street’s ‘Relay’. Credit: Bleecker Street.
Riz Ahmed is an expert at underplaying – almost deliberately eschewing dialogue in favor of expressing himself through his eyes, physicality, and remarkable stillness. Just as he did in the excellent ‘Sound of Metal,’ in which he played a hearing-challenged musician, he makes Ash almost consciously non-verbal – this is a man whose past trauma has taught him to say as little as possible and avoid even speaking at all. Despite the walls Ash puts up, however, Ahmed’s subtle compelling work transmits the isolated man’s basic decency and the gradual return of his sense of righteousness.
Lily James remains one of the more appealing young British actresses working today, and she too generates both charisma and desperation as Sarah, but the fuzzier aspects of her background and some of her choices make the character frustrating at certain points. Sam Worthington delivers a rather standard if snarky villain in Dawson, while unfortunately the great Willa Fitzgerald – so astonishing in ‘Strange Darling’ – gets little to do as Worthington’s right-hand person.
Final Thoughts
Riz Ahmed in Bleecker Street’s ‘Relay’. Credit: Bleecker Street.
The relatively low-key ‘Relay’ won’t get the big publicity push or elaborate marketing of even an average Hollywood tentpole, but it’s also the kind of movie that audiences claim they want more of – original, adult-oriented, intelligent, and character-driven. It might be a film that finds an audience later on streaming as a result, but it’s worth seeking out in theaters as a cinematic experience that doesn’t rely on IP to succeed. It’s not perfect and you may not walk out completely satisfied, but for the most part, ‘Relay’ gets its message across.
‘Relay’ receives a score of 70 out of 100.
dAW4aLRx
What is the plot of ‘Relay’?
Ash (Riz Ahmed) is a world class ‘fixer’ who specializes in brokering lucrative payoffs between corrupt corporations and the individuals who threaten to ruin them. He keeps his identity a secret through meticulous planning and always follows an exacting set of rules. But when a message arrives one day from a potential client (Lily James) needing his protection just to stay alive, the rules quickly start to change.
Premiering on Peacock August 23rd is ‘The Killer’, which is a remake of the classic 1989 action movie of the same name helmed by the original’s director, legendary filmmaker John Woo (‘Face/Off’ and ‘Silent Night’).
(L to R) Omar Sy and Nathalie Emmanuel star in ‘The Killer’, directed by John Woo.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with actors Nathalie Emmanuel and Omar Sy about their work on ‘The Killer’, appearing in a remake directed by the original’s director, working with John Woo, the amazing action sequences, Zee’s motivations, and their characters’ complicated relationship with each other.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.
(L to R) Nathalie Emmanuel, Omar Sy and director John Woo on the set of ‘The Killer’. Photo: Peacock.
Moviefone: To begin with, Nathalie, what is it like starring in a remake of a classic John Woo movie, that is directed by John Woo himself?
Nathalie Emmanuel: It’s great, it was what dreams are made of. That’s how I feel. I think when you have a remake of something that’s so iconic as ‘The Killer’, to have it be remade or reimagined, if you will, with the man himself, it’s the most exciting prospect for a re-imagining or a remake of something. I just felt incredibly excited. I just trusted John and his vision and what he wanted, and it gave me a lot of confidence to just step into it and it was just wonderful.
Director John Woo on the set of ‘The Killer’. Photo: Peacock.
MF: Omar, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and the opportunity to work with John Woo?
Omar Sy: The reaction is difficult to describe. It was like beyond a dream of something that you cannot dare to imagine, and it was happening. Just being in a John Woo movie but being in the classic ‘The Killer’ that I used to watch as a teenager so many times was amazing. The third thing was that it happens in Paris, my hometown. So that was just beyond everything. I had all my friend coming to set and saying, “You’re in a John Woo movie,” and then you can just witness that. It was amazing to do that, and then Paris was an amazing set, and the way John loves Paris was something interesting too. We had a lot of fun, but the reaction to today is just unbelievable what happened.
Nathalie Emmanuel in ‘The Killer’, directed by John Woo. Photo: Peacock.
MF: The action sequences are beautifully shot, and the choreography looks almost like a dance. Nathalie, can you talk about learning the stunt choreography and being directed by John Woo in the action sequences?
NE: I think you characterize it perfectly. It’s like doing a dance, not just within the choreography, but with the camera itself and the way that John shoots it. It’s almost like you’re waltzing with the camera at times, and it can be very specific and technical, but there’s also space for some spontaneity and playfulness as well. I feel like the process of learning choreography was so fulfilling and so wonderful, and the stunt team just really poured into me and really wanted to know how I felt about the way that Zee fights or how she kills or how she does her job. There were things that I brought to them, and they were really embracing of it, and John is also very involved in that too. Just having that pool of unbelievable talent and then the nurture involved, it was just wonderful. I honestly just felt proud of it and very proud of the things that I achieved, and it would just never have happened without that huge team of people.
Omar Sy as Sey in ‘The Killer’, directed by John Woo. Photo: Peacock.
MF: Omar, can you talk about the training and preparation you did for the action sequences?
OS: Same, that we had to be physically prepared to handle the whole shoot and the fight choreography, also the gun handling and all of that. So, we had few weeks before shooting and while we were shooting, we also had to do more training and to go into the precise choreography and all of that was very interesting. It was a lot of work, but very interesting because the process was different. This time, we had a lot of space to add something for our characters, that each move was a line, it’s a response to something with our characters. It was the first time for me to approach choreography and fight scenes like that. So, it was very interesting for me. It changed my way of seeing all those action moves.
(L to R) Nathalie Emmanuel and Diana Silvers in ‘The Killer’, directed by John Woo. Photo: Peacock.
MF: Natalie, can you talk about your character’s motivations, her unlikely alliance with Sey and why she decides to protect Jenn?
NE: Well, I think she’s got a very clear way of doing things, and she’s lived this life of solitude. She does her thing, she lives her life in a very particular, almost regimented way, but she’s somebody who is faced with this situation and her code and how she has a clear code of conduct. She will do the best thing to get the job done, and it becomes very clear that Sey is someone who she can collaborate with because he gets it. It’s that like recognizes like. At first, she’s like, “You are the enemy.” It becomes very clear that she’s like, “Oh, okay, I see something in you that I understand,” and I think the reason why she goes against Finn, played by Sam Worthington, and saves Jennifer or Jenn is because she believes in justice. She believes in the right thing. She’s like, “No civilians, innocent lives are not what I’m here to do,” but it throws up a lot of conflict for her. Therefore, it throws up a lot of questions about her whole life and the way she lives it, and that’s what happens for Zee throughout the movie.
(L to R) Omar Sy and Nathalie Emmanuel in ‘The Killer’, directed by John Woo. Photo: Peacock.
MF: Finally, Omar, can you talk about why Sey is fascinated by Zee and the cat and mouse game that they play throughout the movie?
OS: It was very interesting for me to play that because he’s a very instinctive guy and there is something that he recognizes that he feels about this assassin, Zee. She’s supposed to be the enemy, but because he recognized something, that same code and the same sense of fairness and justice, that’s how they will be on the same side very soon. He can recognize and feel that, and I like that it’s very sudden, it’s immediate, but it’s like a feeling, and the way to process takes the whole movie for him to understand why. But the feeling is magic, and then the fact that he can process and intellectualize that, it takes the whole movie almost. I like those that sometimes the heart goes before your brain, and I like that in the movie because it shows how romantic John is. It’s like the heart is always stronger than the brain, and I like that aspect of the movie.
dx5SHOeaputivTCRH4n527
What is the plot of ‘The Killers’?
From the Oscar winning producer of ‘Oppenheimer‘, the kinetic action thriller stars Emmy-nominee Nathalie Emmanuel as Zee, a mysterious and infamous assassin known, and feared, in the Parisian underworld as the “Queen of the Dead”.
Riding into theaters on June 28th, ‘Does ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’ is Kevin Costner’s latest attempt to breathe fresh life into the Western, a genre that was once dominant in theaters before fading away to be replaced by others, re-emerging occasionally as filmmakers such as Clint Eastwood and Costner himself found new ways to present some well-trodden tales.
The big question is, in an era (admittedly closer to the end than the beginning) of superhero dominance, will there still be a demand for horse-drawn epics of rough-hewn frontiersmen and cowboys fighting to secure territory, power or wealth? And has the baton been handed to the small screen where the likes of ‘Yellowstone’ (formerly starring one K. Costner) and its period-set spin-offs are filling that need?
It’s clear that Kevin Costner firmly still believes in the power of the Western. After all, ‘Horizon’ (you’ll forgive us for not writing the whole title out again) is three hours long and represents just the first part of a planned four-chapter story. Costner has ‘Chapter 2’ due on August 16th, with ‘Chapter 3’ in production and ‘Chapter 4’ in development.
While there is plenty to like about the movie –– sun-dappled vistas, a wealth of storylines and even (not shocking coming from the director/star of ‘Dances with Wolves’) a nod to balancing the portrayals of settlers and natives –– ‘Horizon’ really ends up feeling overstuffed, even at three hours long, and one big set up for what is become, meaning the narrative is never all that satisfying (including a montage at the end serving as a trailer for what is to come, which has the feel of a student padding their history essay with footnotes).
Writing with novelist Jon Baird, Costner here aims to turn the clock back to both the Western’s roots and his own work in the genre with the likes of ‘Wolves’ and ‘Wyatt Earp’. Together the duo have crafted a sprawling, multi-story tale of hardy settlers, the natives they come into conflict with and the various characters who orbit both groups. Trouble is, it’s so sprawling and so clearly designed to lay the narrative railroad tracks for the movies to come that it can’t help but turn out unsatisfyingly unfinished, the story less wrapping up than left dangling. One or two of the plotlines have the appearance of completion, but in reality this is more a pilot for a limited series (‘Horizon’ was going to be one at some point in its long gestation) than a fully rounded movie.
Directorially, it’s predictably accomplished, Costner and his crew making full use of the sweeping, glorious vistas of the American countryside and staging some epic standoff scenes (the story is bookended by a violent Apache attack on settlers and a vengeful raid by “white-eyes” on the natives near the end). The trouble comes with some of the characters and performances, whose quality vary wildly from well-sketched (the likes of Sienna Miller’s Frances Kittredge, who loses her husband and son in the first attack) to basic Western cliché (Jon Beavers’ scowlin’, spittin’, villainous Junior Sykes). And aside from Miller, and to a lesser degree, Abbey Lee’s Marigold, the majority of the women are disposable or, in the case of snippy, snooty Juliette Chesney (Ella Hunt) mostly the butt of jokes.
Costner, of course, gives himself a plum role (albeit a character who doesn’t show up in the story for roughly an hour), playing Hayes Ellison, a badass –– but humble! –– travelling worker who is handy with a six-shooter and instantly attractive to beautiful women. Must be nice to be the boss…
With such a full cast, it would be impossible to spotlight them all, but the majority of the actors do what they can with limited screentime (surely something the completed set of movies will repair) and occasionally slim characterization.
A military man, and part of the Union army (since the movie is set during the Civil War but only peripherally touches upon it), Sam Worthington is the anchor for one of the big stories. He’s actually better here than he tends to be in the ‘Avatar’ movies, finding a low-key but authoritative gear and notching solid chemistry with Miller’s widowed woman.
The Apache warrior who leads the initial, brutal assault on the settlers, he’s portrayed as a complicated, hot-headed young man who is looking to fiercely defend his family, tribe and land from the invading new arrivals. That brings him into conflict with the elders, especially his father, who would rather lay low in the relative safety of the mountains. Owen Crow Shoe puts in a solid performance in a couple of scenes.
Luke Wilson gets to show a gruffer side of himself than usual as the leader of a caravan wending its way along the risky the Santa Fe Trail. Not every scene of his storyline works, but he certainly acquits himself with the required grit.
Kevin Costner is certainly to be applauded for keeping the faith with the movie, insisting it stay a big screen experience when there was a thought it could end up on streaming.
Yet the movie is not without some big flaws. Its old-fashioned nature leads to a stew of manly Western man and flighty female cliches, plenty of the dialogue could have used some polishing and the native characters need more shading if they’re to function effectively. Still, if Costner manages to finish the whole film series, there are plenty of hours ahead.
And talking of hours, ‘Chapter 1’ could easily have lost a few sequences that little served the narrative –– it would have functioned perfectly well at two to two-and-a-half hours.
‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.
4xgmBFnzM2y5fxLArQfcT2
What’s the Plot of ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’?
“Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1” explores the lure of the Old West and how it was won — and lost — through the blood, sweat and tears of many.
Spanning the four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, Kevin Costner’s movie chronicles a country at war with itself, experienced through the lens of families, friends and foes all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America.
Who is in the Cast of ‘Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1’?
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ launches 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.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of traveling to Manhattan Beach, California to the offices of Lightstorm Entertainment to speak with producer Jon Landau about the digital release of ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ along with several other members of the press.
We had a chance to look through the Lightstorm Entertainment Museum, as well as watch bonus material from the digital release. We also spoke to Jon Landau about the film and the future of the franchise, and watched a camera demo presentation from recent Oscar Award winner Richard Baneham.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ statues at the Lightstorm Entertainment Museum.
Lightstorm Entertainment Museum and VFX Tour
Our visit began with a tour of Lightstorm’s museum, which in addition to housing props and visual reference pieces from the ‘Avatar’ series, but it also included memorabilia from ‘Aliens,‘ ‘Alita: Battle Angel,’ ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day,’ and ‘Titanic.’
Alien Queen from James Cameron’s ‘Aliens’ at the Lightstorm Entertainment Museum.
Some of the pieces that stood out include a T-100 from ‘T2,’ the Queen and Ripley’s exosuit from ‘Aliens,’ a replica of the ship from ‘Titanic,’ as well as ‘The Heart of the Ocean’ necklace worn by Kate Winslet, and Jon Landau’s Oscar for Best Picture from ‘Titanic.’
“The Heart of the Ocean” from James Cameron’s ‘Titanic’ at the Lightstorm Entertainment Museum.
Before speaking with Jon Landau, we had a chance to experience a camera demo presentation from recent Oscar winner Richard Baneham, who explained how the underwater scenes were shot for the movie.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’s Oscar winning visual effects supervisor Richard Baneham.
What are the Bonus Features on the Digital Release of ‘Avatar: The Way of Water?’
Next, we had a chance to screen some of the bonus material from the digital release. The bonus features will be included in a section called ‘Inside Pandora’s Box,’ and will include a series of featurettes on the challenges facing cast and crew as filmmakers devise new technologies to push the limits of cinema with ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’
You can read about the different featurettes below:
Building the World of Pandora– James Cameron and a team of talented artists combine years of research with their design skills to build the world of Pandora with new characters, creatures, indigenous clans, underwater environments and the take-no-prisoners hard-tech world of the RDA.
Capturing Pandora– James Cameron’s approach to performance capture has the cast performing in a volume rigged with infrared cameras to capture their movement, and head rig cameras to capture emotion on their faces with only the boundaries of imagination to limit them.
The Undersea World of Pandora– Co-production designer Dylan Cole and his team conceive of the marine creatures required for ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ while James Cameron and his stunt team devise extraordinary means to bring those creatures to life in a performance capture tank.
The Challenges of Pandora’s Waters– James Cameron tackles the “non-trivial challenge” of performance capture above and below the water’s surface, utilizing a wave machine and current generator to reproduce ocean conditions, and underwater vehicles to replicate creature movement.
Pandora’s Returning Characters– James Cameron reunites with his returning cast – Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang. Together they discuss the amazing evolution of their characters in ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’
Pandora’s Next Generation– Meet the talented young newcomers who have been cast as the next generation of Na’vi and follow them through the adventure of making ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’
Spider’s Web– James Cameron introduced the human character of Spider into the fabric of Pandora – thus creating a host of technological challenges on set…and an incredible journey for the young actor, Jack Champion.
Becoming Na’vi– The ‘Avatar’ cast is immersed in the culture of the indigenous Na’vi, living off the land in the Hawaiian rainforest and training in a multitude of disciplines in preparation for their roles.
The Reef People of Pandora– In true James Cameron-style, the Metkayina reef clan has been developed with great attention to detail, bearing unique evolutionary traits and a culture – with new dwellings, new clothes and different way of life – all a result of living off the ocean.
Bringing Pandora to Life– Once James Cameron completes his virtual production process, every sequence is turned over to Wētā FX to bring Pandora to life – with unprecedented advancements in facial performance, environments and making CG water look real.
The RDA Returns to Pandora– Co-production designer Ben Procter and his team present an armada of new vehicles and human technologies that the RDA brings to Pandora – in concept design and with practical builds.
The New Characters of Pandora– Meet the important new characters of the ‘Avatar’ saga played by Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell and Jemaine Clement.
The Sounds of Pandora– Hear how James Cameron worked with composer Simon Franglen to create the distinctive music of ‘The Way of Water’ while building on James Horner’s brilliant score for ‘Avatar,’ and learn how Chris Boyes created the immersive sounds of Pandora.
New Zealand – Pandora’s Home– The production of the ‘Avatar’ sequels is so thoroughly ensconced in New Zealand that James Cameron considers The Way of Water a “New Zealand film.” Hear reflections from the cast and crew, including the remarkable New Zealand crew, on making the film.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’s Oscar winning producer Jon Landau.
Jon Landau Q&A
Finally, we had a chance to speak with Oscar winning producer Jon Landau, along with other members of the press, about ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ working with James Cameron and the future of the franchise.
Can you talk about your experience working with James Cameron over the years, and particularly with ‘Avatar: The Way of Water?’
Jon Landau: I think that I got to know Jim as a studio executive. I was the suit when he was doing ‘True Lies.’ But my objective was always the same as his objective, make the best movie. I didn’t come at it with a different agenda. That’s how I think we look at it. I think that what has developed over the 30 years, and Jim calls it a marriage that we’ve had, is we divide and conquer. I think there are certain things that I can’t do. Jim’s an engineer and I’m not. I don’t profess to be. But there are things as it relates to Wētā and problem solving that Jim would allow me to go tackle and take something much further down the line for him. We even created what we called FLFs, First Look Finals, which Jim was amazed at when that started to happen, where we would present something to him and he was able to sign off on it because we solved some of these other problems. So I think one of the keys is communicating. I think one of the keys is identifying when you have a problem, because sometimes you don’t recognize that. On the first film, there was a day we were doing performance capture and we did something and we stopped to name it. Because if we ever wanted to do it again, we needed to be able to refer to it. We couldn’t go, “Oh, that thing we did 12 weeks ago.” So we named something. So it’s taking that time and saying, “Okay, let’s stop for a minute and solve this.”
Can you talk about the scheduling process on a movie like this?
JL: So the scheduling, it’s really interesting. The first thing we had to figure out because we were not just filming ‘Avatar 2,’ we were actually filming and capturing for ‘2,’ ‘3,’ and the first act of movie ‘4.’ So, how do you do that? What are the things you do? The first thing we did, if you ever have seen a script, the scene numbers usually start at one and they end whatever number the scene is. I came up with the idea that our scene numbers for this movie would start at 2,001. The two at the beginning of 2,000 would tell us it’s movie ‘2.’ If you look at a script for movie ‘3,’ it’s 3,001. That way we would know, “Okay, what scene?” Because you couldn’t say, “We’re working on scene 56.” Of what movie? So we had to do that. Then we had to say, “Okay, let’s figure out what needs to be shot in what order.” We quickly realized that we needed to do performance capture before we could do live-action because it impacted the live-action filming. If we knew what the CG character was supposed to do, we would then line it up and do that. So we started out with the scheduling of the performance capture. There, we had a lot of flexibility because we weren’t limited to saying, “You’re on a set.” Because our sets are just these gray scale pieces and they could be very easy to reconstitute and the lighting went into it. So we tried to do that in two different waves. One is non-wet work, because our tank wasn’t built yet, and we tried to do that in as much continuity order for the cast as we could. Then we dove literally and figuratively into the tank work. Then we did some more capture work. When we went to do the live-action, we then treated it more like a traditional movie and said, “Okay, if we are in this set that’s the screening room, let’s shoot out every scene, whether it’s in movie ‘2,’ ‘3’ or that first part of ‘4,’ and knock that off right at the beginning.” So we did it logistically that way when we went down to New Zealand for our live-action filming.
(L to R) Jack Champion and Stephen Lang in director James Cameron’s ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’
As a producer, how do you budget a project as large as this?
JL: Look, I think you learn to budget based on experience. We sit there and we know there’s uncertainty. So we sit there and say, “Here’s what we know. We’re going to put a fudge factor on top of it.” Look, when we went and did ‘Titanic,’ and this was a big learning lesson for us on ‘Titanic,’ there was a time where in pre-production we were under a lot of pressure not to spend money and we didn’t spend money on engineering the ship being raised and then tilted. We put it in a ballpark number. We were way off. So one of the things we now really try to do as we budget is bring in people early on and put in money in our early development budget and say, “Okay, we need an engineer.” Perfect example. On ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ we brought in engineers to design our tank before we signed off on a budget. We didn’t build the tank, we didn’t buy the steel, but it was engineered and it put us on a much sounder ground. So I think it’s about going and doing your homework and recognizing that you don’t have all the answers and not to be overly optimistic and say, “Here’s what we think it’s going to be.” When you look at our movies, these movies are challenging and they’re big in scale and scope and we acknowledge that upfront.
Can you talk about the future of the franchise?
JL: So we have ‘3,’ ‘4,’ and ‘5’ written right now. We didn’t set out to make a sequel. We set out to make a movie that happened to be based on a world and characters that were created, almost like you look at the first ‘Avatar’ as if it was a novel. We’re now doing something that was inspired by that. In these three more scripts we have, we believe that each movie is a standalone film that comes to its own story resolution, its own emotional conclusion. I don’t think people need to have seen the first ‘Avatar’ to enjoy ‘Way of Water.’ That’s how we want each one of these movies to be. Now, I believe that Pandora and these characters and people that we will continue to meet have many other stories to tell. From a new cast standpoint, each movie we’ll introduce new biomes and new cultures. Because we’re introducing new cultures, we have new characters. But just because we are introducing a new one doesn’t mean we’ve lost an old one. They will stay with us. So the sea people, they’ll have different roles, the Metkayina, will be in and out of these stories, but they are a part of the canon that we’ve created. But we’re going to meet at least two new clans in the next movie, culturally, and go on and on as we continue that.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ will be available exclusively to purchase on Digital March 28th.
Have you already shot ‘Avatar 4?’
JL: The first act. Because truth be told, there’s a time cut after the end of the first act and we needed to get all the kids before they got older and shoot all that out. We still have roles to cast in ‘4’ and ‘5,’ in the latter part.
You’ve said that you learn on each movie how to make the next one better, what did you learn from making ‘The Way of Water’ that you will apply to the next project?
JL: The visual effects side of things is never revolutionary, it’s evolutionary. Something that we are doing tomorrow is going to be better than if we’re doing it today because we’re learning more. Wētā FX is learning more. ILM, who we work with, is learning more. So we will continue to push and to strive to create an even higher product. One of the things that people say is, “What type of people do you want to hire?” I go back to people who don’t want to rest on the laurels of their past. People who are not afraid to push the boundaries. When you do that, people have to be prepared to fail. Because when you’ve gone down a path that’s never been traveled, failure needs to be an option and we need a system that’s going to support them.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ will be available exclusively to purchase on Digital March 28th.
Other Films By James Cameron and Lightstorm Entertainment:
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ will be available exclusively to purchase on Digital March 28th from Lightstorm Entertainment and 20th Century Studios.
Directed by James Cameron, and written by Cameron, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, the film stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet.
Watch Moviefone’s interviews with James Cameron and the cast of ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ below:
13 years after the first film’s release, Academy Award-winning director James Cameron takes the audience back to the world of Pandora and introduces a new tribe of Na’vi. The film sees the return of Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, and Stephen Lang.
Despite the long wait for its sequel, ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ was already smashing records on opening weekend. Soaring past Marvel’s ‘The Avengers‘ in domestic box office rankings, raking in $625.6 million. Needless to say, the 13 years gap between the first and second movies did not dampen the fans’ excitement for this film.
20076604
Just like the 2009 film, this installment also utilizes 3D. With updated technology, ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ is visually stunning, and looks even more vibrant and lifelike than its predecessor. Filming begin in 2017 and took over the course of 3 years, mainly due to the director wanting to film ‘Avatar 2’ and ‘3′ at the same time. The majority of ‘The Way Of Water’ took place underwater, requiring the cast and stunt team to film inside a 900,000-gallon tank.
Filming underwater made it difficult for the motion capture process because scuba gear often got in the way. So the actors received special training on how to hold their breath for an extended amount of time. Kate Winslet held her breath for an astonishing 7 minutes.
Cameron has plans for three more ‘Avatar‘ films. The third installment is set to release in 2024 with ‘Avatar 4‘ and ‘5‘ scheduled for a 2026 and 2028 release.
The official synopsis for ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ is thus:
“Jake Sully lives with his newfound family formed on the extrasolar moon Pandora. Once a familiar threat returns to finish what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri and the army of the Na’vi race to protect their home.”
It’s been over a decade since the events of the previous film, Jake and Neytiri have started a family – the eldest son Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), the second son Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), and the youngest daughter Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss). On top of the three children, they also have an adoptive daughter in Kiri (Sigourney Weaver). The family lived in peace until the Sky People returned to Pandora causing destruction and chaos. The family is uprooted, and forced to seek safety and shelter within the oceans of Pandora and the Metkayina tribe.
The sci-fi fantasy/adventure also sees Cliff Curtis as Metkayina Chief Tonowari and Kate Winslet (who reunites with the ‘Titanic‘ director after 26 years) as Ronal. The newly introduced tribe of Na’vi looks different than Neytiri and Jake, as they have larger and stronger tails built for swimming. We’re also introduced to many new creatures such as the tulkun, skimwing, and ilu.
Stephen Lang who played antagonist Colonel Miles Quaritch in the first film is back for the sequel as a different character (sort of).
You can still enjoy the movie on the big screening at your local theaters. The movie is available in various formats but it is an absolute treat to watch it in 3D if it’s available to you. Another great way to enjoy ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ is in IMAX, which will make you feel like you’re fully immersed in the world of Pandora.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ was released on December 16th, 2022, and has a total runtime of 3 hours and 12 minutes.
When Will ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Be Available To Stream Online?
‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ is currently only in theaters, but it will surely make its way to streaming services in the future. As this is a 20th Century Studio film it will definitely be available on Disney+ once it is released for streaming. Currently, you can watch the original film on Disney+.
The visionary director has had many of his films break box office records. The first ‘Avatar’ film opened to $77 million domestically on opening weekend in 2009. Now, it has grossed $749.7 million domestically and $2.7 billion worldwide. ‘The Way of Water’ opened to $134.1 million domestically and has grossed $625.6 since. It is currently the fourth-highest-grossing film worldwide of all time, has surpassed Marvel Studio’s ‘The Avengers’ ($1.5 billion worldwide), and is closing in on ‘Titanic’, another James Cameron film.
On top of the film’s success at the box office, the franchise giant is also popular amongst theme park goers. You can find The World Of Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida. There are two attractions based inside the Avatar-inspired land – “Flight of Passage” and “Na’vi River Journey.” In “Flight of the Passage,” guests can fly on the back of a mountain banshee over Pandora, complete with 3D, of course. “The Na’vi River Journey” takes riders on an immersive river ride, exploring the caves, bioluminescent rainforest, and an extremely life-like audio-animatronic.
Director James Cameron for ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’
Other Films By James Cameron
The three-time Academy Award-winning director may very well be adding another golden statue to his mantle. ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ has received four Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Sound, Best Production Design, and Best Visual Effects.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ was released in theaters on December 16th, 2022 from Lightstorm Entertainment and 20th Century Studios. Directed by James Cameron, and written by Cameron, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, the film stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet.
Watch Moviefone’s interviews with James Cameron and the cast of ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ below:
