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2022 was quite a big year for the filmmaking industry. Not only were audiences finally returning to theaters, but the year was packed to the brim with instant classics like the fan-service marvel that was Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, Tom Cruise's summer event, Top Gun: Maverick, as well as the other mind-blowing multiversal adventure with Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022). As the year drew to a close and candidacy for next year's Awards season ramps up, there was one more gift from director James Cameron (Titanic) that arrived on the big screen just in time for the holidays. It's a film that people have been patiently waiting to watch for a very long time.

Avatar: The Way of Water, the much-delayed sequel to the highest-grossing film ever made, was finally released in theaters on December 16th, 2022, and according to fans and critics alike, the wait was well worth it. Nearly 13 years since the original Avatar (2009) was released almost to the day, Cameron, the meticulous cinematic craftsman he is, was hard at work on not just the second installment but three more sequels set to (hopefully) release soon. The original film was already vastly ahead of its time and had visual and technical prowess that even modern films haven't been able to match, so seeing how the technology behind Avatar has progressed since 2009 made this a visual treat that certainly earned its Best Visual Effects Oscar.

The new film also picks up several years when the last one left off, still following human-turned-permanent Na'vi Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his partner Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), still living their lives on the beautiful jungle planet of Pandora and now raising a family of their own. However, their last battle with the invasive humans proved to be just the first chapter in an expansive saga, as the banished humans have returned to Pandora and are bringing new and familiar enemies with them.

Although the film's record-breaking box office run has concluded and the film is no longer in theaters, both fans of the second film and those who missed the theatrical experience will be able to see the movie from the comfort of their own home soon. How soon and where? Read below to find out.

Editor's Note: This piece was last updated on June 7, 2023.

Avatar The Way of Water Movie Poster
Avatar: The Way of Water
PG-13
Action
Sci-Fi
Adventure
Fantasy

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.

Release Date
December 16, 2022
Director
James Cameron
Runtime
192 minutes
Main Genre
Adventure
Studio
20th Century Studios

Is Avatar: The Way of Water Streaming on Disney+?

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Since 20th Century Studios is now under the ownership of the Walt Disney Company, which in turn makes the Avatar franchise a part of the Disney family. So it's only natural that the film would be available to stream on Disney+.

As of June 7, 2023, Avatar: The Way of Water is now available to stream on Disney+ alongside its 2009 predecessor and the ABC 20/20 documentary Avatar: The Deep Dive.

Watch on Disney+

Is Avatar: The Way of Water Streaming on Max?

Avatar-The-Way-of-Water-Max-Disney+
Custom Image by Jefferson Chacon

Disney+ isn't the only streaming service that is hosting Avatar: The Way of Water. Thanks to a pre-existing deal between Warner Bros and Disney, the film is also available to stream on the newly rebranded Max streaming service. This isn't the first movie to follow this model, as previously films such as Free Guy and West Side Story were made available simultaneously on both Disney+ and HBO Max.

Watch on Max

Related: 'Avatar: The Way of Water' Review: James Cameron Crafts a Stunning Sequel for His Epic Franchise

Is Avatar: The Way of Water Available on VOD?

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Images via Disney

If you aren't subscribed to Disney+ or Max, Avatar: The Way of Water is also available to purchase and to rent on-demand. You can use the links below to buy or rent the film on the platform of your choice.

When Will Avatar: The Way of Water Be Available on Blu-ray and DVD?

Payakan Tulkun in Avatar the Way of Water
Image Via 20th Century Studios

Avatar: The Way of Water will be available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD, on June 20, 2023. The special features to be included in the film's physical release have not yet been revealed. However, a featurette will be included that shows the first film's stars, Saldaña and Worthington, as they break down what it was like returning to Pandora after so many years between the films.

Is Avatar: The Way of Water Still in Movie Theaters?

Britain Dalton as Lo'ak in Avatar: The Way of Water

Unfortunately, if you were hoping to make one last trip to Pandora on the big screen, you'll have to postpone that for the foreseeable future, as Avatar: The Way of Water is no longer playing in theaters. That being said, it won't be too long to wait until we see the Sully clan again on the big screen, as Avatar 3 is set to hit theaters on December 20, 2024.

Watch the Trailer for Avatar: The Way of Water

The first trailer for Avatar: The Way of Water keeps plot details under wraps, instead focusing on the incredible world of Pandora that we haven't seen on screen in over a decade. We also get a brief reintroduction to Jake Sully, the protagonist of the previous film who left his human body behind to join the Na'vi culture and forever be with his one true love, Neytiri, now of whom is the leader of the Omaticaya tribe. Some fans may also be surprised to see and may have missed the return of Sigourney Weaver (Aliens) and Stephen Lang (Don't Breath) despite their characters seemingly getting killed in the first Avatar film. Interestingly enough, Weaver plays Kiri, Jake and Neytiri's adopted daughter. Still, Lang is playing a new version of the villainous Colonel Quaritch, who met a grim fate in the finale, now reincarnated as a vengeful Avatar. The trailer also briefly introduces the rest of Jake and Neytiri's children and Spider, a human boy who must wear an Expopack to breathe Pandora's atmosphere.

The title of the film makes clear the film's emphasis on the oceans of Pandora, and the trailer delivers on that promise with some incredible aquatic environments. We also get to see an all-new subspecies of Na'vi and an all-new tribe. The inhabitants have adapted to their seaside lifestyle with fin-like arms and light blue skin, with the tribe's matriarch being played by previous James Cameron collaborator, Kate Winslet (Titanic). The brief sizzle reel ends with a tease of a massive ocean battle, which lives up to the epic finale sequence of the previous film.

An ad for the film's Disney+ release was released on May 15.

Related: 'Avatar': Jon Landau Promises the Franchise Will Keep Raising the Bar

When Are the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Avatar Films Releasing?

Avatar The Way of Water
Image via Disney

Though Disney and Fox have been testing the waters, so to speak of interest in the Avatar franchise to see if they can catch lightning in a bottle once again and see unprecedented box office returns, so far, things look positive with the recent re-release of the original film doing quite well. This makes the following three planned sequels likely to happen. If those behind the film keep to the current schedule, we won't have to wait nearly as long for the following films. The sequels are untitled as of now, but Avatar 3 is set to release on December 20th, 2024, Avatar 4 on December 18th, 2026, and finally Avatar 5 on December 22nd, 2028, where the saga will presumably come to an end.

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