"Avatar 2: The Way of Water": New Images and More Details Revealed

In the past couple of days there were some new pieces of information and images about the upcoming "Avatar: The Way of Water". The pictures, which were exclusively published by Empire Magazine, show many new and old characters and definitely make you want to see more of the "Avatar" sequel, which is expected to be released in December.

In one image, we get to see actress Kate Winslet for the first time in her new role as Ronal. Ronal is a tribal chief who leads an underwater tribe of Na'vi alongside Tonowari, who is played by Cliff Curtis. In fact: she's also pregnant, although you cannot tell from the published image, and that won't stop her from engaging in battle. Kate Winslet's appearance in "Avatar 2" is, by the way, the second collaboration between her and James Cameron, the first of course being the global hit "Titanic".

Another picture shows Sigourney Weaver, whose return has also been known for a long time. Many people were surprised by this, since her character Dr. Grace Augustine did in fact die in the first part. As she herself disclosed in an interview, she won't be returning to that role either, but instead to that of the teenaged adopted daughter Kiri, who is being fostered by Jake and Neytiri. This is a pretty big surprise, because it means that the 72-year-old Weaver will now play a young Na'vi in her teens, made possible by motion capture and digital rejuvenation. A real challenge for the actress, but one that she seems to have enjoyed immensely.

Another returnee who was presumed dead is Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch. He is the first part's antagonist and was visibly pierced by several arrows. For him, too, it has now become clear in what form he will make his comeback. On one of the pictures you can see him in his new Avatar body. Apparently the consciousness of the villain has outlived his physical death. So now he continues his existence inside his new blue body and is certainly anything but happy about his supposed demise at the hands of the Na'vi. This would make him physically equal to the natives of Pandora and even a more dangerous adversary than before. In general, the RDA seems to have become even more powerful: In addition to improved avatars, they have also built a new city called Bridgehead. With the help of various machines and tools, they now want to exploit the Unobtanium reserves in Pandora's seas. Other images feature a new whale-like creature, a group of Na'vi, and two thematically fitting covers from Empire Magazine.

James Cameron also had some things to say to Empire. He compared the upcoming "Avatar" movies with the "Lord of the Rings" saga. The big difference between "The Lord of the Rings" and "Avatar", however, is that the former could be based on a book series, while Cameron had to create the template on his own, so to speak. That at least helps explain the very long wait of 13 years between parts 1 and 2. "Avatar: The Way of Water" will hit theaters on December 16, 2022.