Avatar: The Way of Water trailer shares stunning first look at sequel

But with its official online launch, the brand new Avatar footage is now readily available to all, which should plant the mammoth blockbuster firmly on the radar of film fans.

Check out the trailer below:

While many blockbuster trailers aim to cram as much action into two or three minutes as possible, this teaser is actually rather peaceful viewing for the most part, focused on showcasing a previously unexplored corner of Pandora.

We are reunited with former marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his Na'vi partner Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), who have started a family in the decade since the events of the first film.

As had previously been announced, The Way of Water will see them cross paths with a reef clan known as the Metkayina, who live and thrive on Pandora's oceans, with breathtaking shots taking us beneath the waves with them.

The only line of dialogue in the trailer is from Sully, who says: "I know one thing: wherever we go, this family is our fortress."

Avatar: The Way of Water has been delayed repeatedly since it was first announced back in January 2010, shortly after the first film in the franchise began dominating multiplexes across the globe.

It ultimately became the highest-grossing film of all-time (not adjusted for inflation) with a worldwide total of more than $2.8 billion; a title it briefly lost to Avengers: Endgame, but reclaimed following a Chinese release last year.

Nevertheless, some fans and pundits have been sceptical over whether Avatar: The Way of Water can hope to achieve similar levels of success, given how the landscape of cinema has changed during its 13-year production.

While it can't boast any link to superheroes or shared universes, Cameron and co aim to draw viewers in with spectacle, as The Way of Water utilises cutting-edge new technology to realise the home of the Metkayina.

The development of these groundbreaking techniques was one reason for the film's extensive delays, with other factors being the logistics of filming three sequels at once and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Avatar: The Way of Water is scheduled for release in UK cinemas on Friday 16th December 2022. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.

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