Gorgeous new concept art for Avatar: The Way of Water showing the Na'vi riding underwater creatures was released today. The long-in-the-works sequel to James Cameron's 2009 blockbuster releases this December. Although the original remains the highest-grossing film of all time, it has been over a decade since its release and many are curious if its follow-up can dethrone Top Gun: Maverick as the year's highest-grossing film.
The Way of Water expands the world of Pandora and will explore its vast oceans. Ex-marine Jake Sully, now completely Na'vi, his love, the indigenous Neytiri, and their family will encounter other clans and deal with the continuing encroachment of a human threat on their world. Joining returning cast members Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, and Sigourney Weaver are several new faces, including Michelle Yeoh, Jemaine Clement, Cliff Curtis, and Kate Winslet. The cast and crew went through a rigorous underwater filming process in a state-of-the-art tank to capture this facet of life on Pandora, and the 72-year-old Sigourney Weaver even learned Parkour for her role as Dr. Augustine.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
Now fans of the series hungry for a better look at The Way of Water's new creatures can turn to this stunning concept art. Released by Disney as part of the D23 Expo 2022, this picture of the Na'vi riding several of Pandora's underwater fauna and surrounded by reef-like flora was posted on Twitter with the promise that "Pandora's beauty awaits." Check out the picture below:
Avatar producer John Landau has previously gone into detail on a few of the film's new creatures. They include a massive, intelligent whale-like creature called a tulkun, seen briefly in silhouette in The Way of Water's teaser trailer, and the skimwing, which are like large flying fish that keep their tails in the water for propulsion and are used by warriors in combat. The one in the concept art are the ilu, which are playful creatures Landau described as "the water equivalent of a direhorse," and closely resemble a plesiosaur.
Disney has been very particular in how it's teased out footage and information regarding the long-anticipated sequel up until now, but in addition to this glimpse at concept art, D23 has also heralded new footage for the film. It seems likely that when it does arrive, the spectacle will deliver. James Cameron often pioneers technology with each new film he releases, and the Avatar sequels are no exception. With new motion capture technology made to capture underwater scenes, coupled with Wētā FX's groundbreaking water simulation CGI, Avatar: The Way of Water could be a movie like none ever seen before.