Avatar: The Way of Water Concept Art Showcases Pandora's Oceans

Shortly after the reveal of brand-new footage from the long-awaited sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, at this year's D23 expo, the official Avatar Twitter account released a new image depicting some beautiful concept art of the oceans of Pandora. The tweet reads, "Pandora’s beauty awaits. Brand-new concept art has arrived for #AvatarTheWayOfWater, in theaters December 16." Alongside the reveal of new footage from the film, attendees were also given a physical copy of the newly released concept art.

The image depicts breathtaking underwater imagery as two Na'vi soar across a seabed full of Pandora's new creatures that will be introduced in the upcoming sequel. The characters not identified in the artwork appear to be members of the Metkayina clan due to their flat, paddle-shaped tales and arm fins. However, the most notable feature of the art piece is the inclusion of two plesiosaur-like creatures ridden by the Na'vi, previously shown in the film's trailer. The creatures, called Ilus in the film, serve as the water equivalent of Banshees, flying dragon-like creatures introduced in the first movie. It remains unknown how big of a role the Ilus will play in the story, but they will likely have a significant presence throughout the movie as the Na'vi use them to navigate the water.

The bottom of the image shows a signature from Dylan Cole, who previously served as a concept art director for the first Avatar and as concept design supervisor for Alita: Battle Angel, another film by James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment. The reveal of the artwork follows several Avatar-related announcements coming out of D23 Expo, such as the reveal of the franchise's upcoming set of toys from McFarlane Toys and an update on Avatar: Reckoning, an online mobile game currently in development.

Image via 20th Century Studios

Alongside the release of the brand-new image, those who attended D23 were provided the opportunity to see new footage of the upcoming film Avatar: The Way of Water in all its breathtaking 3D glory. While it remains likely that the footage won't be making its way online, fans won't have to wait too long to return to Pandora as the first Avatar re-releases in theaters remastered in 4K HDR on September 23. Following the re-issue of the original film, Avatar: The Way of Water will hit theaters on December 16, introducing audiences to a whole new aspect of the world of Pandora by exploring its rich and highly-detailed oceans. As the release of the highly anticipated sequel begins to approach, more footage and plot details will be revealed.

Avatar: The Way of Water splashes into theaters on December 16. Check out the concept art and the official trailer for the upcoming film below: