It's been 13 years since Hollywood legend James Cameron transported audiences to the lush jungle
world of Pandora in 2009's "Avatar," in which humans have colonized the moon to mine it for
a precious resource called unobtanium. The first film follows Jake Sully, whose
consciousness is put into a synthetic body that looks like the Indigenous population, the Na'vi,
and ends with Jake leading a rebellion against his destructive employers before he completely joins
Neytiri and her tribe. Cameron has previously talked at length about his ambitious plans for
the "Avatar" franchise, and a number of sequels are in production. But a stunning new trailer
has finally given us our first look at the next chapter in the saga: "Avatar: The Way of Water."
The sequel picks up over a decade after the original movie,
and Jake has seemingly found peace as part of the Na'vi — he's even started
a family with Neytiri. The stunning visuals show off more of Pandora this time around,
with the action moving from the gorgeous jungles to the deepest oceans. Obviously, this comes with
new creatures for the Na'vi to ride across the water — something that'll definitely
come in handy as they deal with the threat of the Resources Development Administration.
The footage doesn't reveal too much about the story; instead, it focuses on the gorgeous
visual effects. But let's take a look at the small details from the first "Avatar:
The Way of Water" trailer to see what they might mean for Jake and Neytiri.
One of the biggest developments is the fact that Jake and Neytiri have children together now,
which isn't so surprising since they become a couple by the end of the first film. They have a
few Na'vi children, but their family is definitely nontraditional because they also have a human
child. This is a little surprising since most of the humans were banished after the attack on
the Tree of Souls in the finale. But according to Empire, the young boy is Miles "Spider" Socorro, a
human who was born on the "Hell's Gate" RDA base, which is where Jake first arrived on Pandora.
Unfortunately, it seems like Neytiri harbors some ill feelings toward her adopted son.
Producer Jon Landau told Empire,
"Jake took him in but Neytiri always saw him as one of the people who destroyed her home
and killed her father. So you have all these dynamics playing out."
Although the human forces were forced off the moon at the end of the first movie,
humanity still seems to have a presence on Pandora, with the trailer showing off a huge
base that boasts a fleet of Scorpion Gunships that look ready for battle. It'll be interesting to see
how the RDA has evolved in the decade since its crippling defeat and whether it's struck some kind
of peace treaty with the Indigenous population. The company is also apparently still using its
Avatar Program since a pair of avatar soldiers can be seen stomping through the jungle with rifles.
It seems like the RDA clearly hasn't completely repaired its relationship with the Na'vi,
since Spider looks to be aiming a bow and arrow at the two soldiers. It's possible they've held
up an uneasy alliance over the years and something in the sequel has destabilized
that relationship — maybe it's the return of Colonel Quaritch, played by Stephan Lang. Yes,
the actor is reprising his role in the sequel — so it looks like the hard-nosed soldier is getting a
resurrection of some kind. The company probably still wants to mine the moon for its material,
although the company's executives probably have a score to settle with Sully
and his family for the damage they did in the original war.
Kate Winslet has reunited with "Titanic" director James Cameron for "The Way of
Water" — and she plays a pivotal role in the highly anticipated sequel.
The trailer only offers a small look at Winslet's character at about one minute into the footage.
During a December 2020 appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,"
Winslet offered up some hints of what her character's role will be in the franchise.
"That's actually a birth-giving ceremony that my character,
who is a water goddess, is essentially hosting."
Considering a big part of the film revolves around Jake and Neytiri's family,
it isn't so surprising that they're in touch with someone who conducts
birth-giving ceremonies. Winslet's role will likely tie into the mystical side of Pandora,
but until more footage is released, we'll just have to wonder.
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