Tickets to Avatar's theatrical re-release are now on sale. Hitting theaters in 2009, the science-fiction action-adventure film captured the imagination of the world with its epic storytelling and stunning visuals, becoming the highest-grossing film of all-time by pulling in over $2.8 billion at the box office. Avatar focused on the journey of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a disabled ex-Marine who joins an experimental program to insert his mind in the genetically-created body of a Na'vi, an intelligent race of alien creatures inhabiting the mineral rich planet of Pandora. While on a secret mission to gather information for the bloodthirsty Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), Jake falls for the Na'vi chief's daughter Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and aligns himself with the natives' plight, setting him on the path to war with the humans.
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Now, Avatar is set to be re-released in theaters months ahead of the first of four sequels, Avatar: Way of the Water. The re-release will feature an updated 4K high-dynamic range digital print that will give audiences an even clearer image of the movie than ever before. However, just prior to the re-release, Avatar was quietly removed from Disney+ with a promise that the film will return to the streaming service before Avatar: Way of the Water lands in theaters in December.
Avatar gets a new poster and trailer to announce that tickets for the movie's upcoming theatrical re-release are now on sale. The sci-fi epic will return to cinemas on September 23 for a two-week limited engagement. Check out Avatar's re-release trailer and poster below.
Avatar's re-release begins a massive marketing push toward Avatar: Way of the Water's release this holiday season. With a budget over $250 million, not including the price tag for the upcoming sequels, the amount of pressure for the production companies to produce a sequel to come close to matching its predecessor's sales is high. Bringing Avatar back into theaters gives the studio a chance to refresh the audience with Avatar's story while making a little extra money to help ease the cost of the future sequels.
It will be interesting to see how Avatar's re-release will fare in the current theatrical climate. Although Avatar is the highest-grossing film of all-time, its return to the cinema may not bring about sales as high as previously seen. Since its release 13 years ago, the movie has a continuous presence on cable television and has also continued to be popular with viewers in various home releases and streaming. Although the film remains loved by many, Avatar's 4K HDR re-release may not bring out the droves of fans to the theaters as it had in 2009. However, with Avatar's return to the cinema coming just at the beginning of Hollywood's year-end push for its award contenders, the film may find an audience for those looking for bombastic escapism.