A decade and change after introducing audiences to the alien jungle world of Pandora, director James Cameron is returning to his sci-fi epic via a sequel packing stunningly realized 3D footage that promises to floor audiences just as thoroughly as the 2009 original.
Avatar: The Way of Water premieres Thursday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. at the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater. The film follows Avatar, which moved viewers — and obliterated box office records — with its epic scale, sweeping 3D visuals, advanced motion capture, and computer-generated imagery.
That immersive moviegoing experience – a visual Eden – inspired wonder and transported audiences to the fictional world of the Na’vi: the ten-foot-tall, blue-skinned native Pandorans who are intimately connected to their planet’s ecosystems and wildlife.
The Way of Water picks up more than a decade after the events of Avatar. Audiences once more follow hero Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paralyzed soldier once tasked with infiltrating the Na’vi and aiding the plunder of Pandora’s natural resources by transferring his consciousness into an artificially grown Na’vi body (the film’s namesake avatar).
Instead of completing his mission, Sully fell in love with a Na'vi named Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and helped his newly adopted family fight back against the invaders. Now, Sully, Neytiri, and their children are fighting to stay together as they overcome new challenges and endure tragedy on Pandora.
The original Avatar was the first film in history to surpass $2 billion at the box office and earned three Academy Awards, including a Best Picture nod. The film’s runaway success internationally drove box office sales for its initial run to $2.75 billion, an amount that wasn’t exceeded for a decade until the release of Avengers: End Game in 2019. Thanks to a 2021 re-release, however, Avatar retook the top spot and reigns as the global box office king.
Just as it was in 2009, moviegoers eager to see The Way of Water with the best possible picture quality will find no better venue than the IMAX 3D Theater. The film will be presented in a 1.90:1 aspect ratio that will fill the theater’s six-story screen, offering a cinematic portal more immersive than can be provided by traditional cinemas.
Equipped with a brand new, 5,874-square-foot screen and featuring dual 4K laser projectors with 12-channel surround sound, the IMAX with Laser system delivers precision visuals and thundering audio that will ensure viewers feel like they’ve set foot on the planet of Pandora.
IMAX has worked extensively with Cameron’s company, Lightstorm Entertainment, to ensure theaters make the very best use of the IMAX technology to show the film as its creator intended for it to be seen.
The Way of Water features stunning scenes of underwater environments and, like the original, emphasizes the connection the Na’vi share with the natural life of their world. In recognition of that theme, filmmakers have partnered with The Nature Conservancy to help protect marine life on planet Earth. Until Dec. 31, Avatar fans can visit this page to create their own Avatar-inspired ocean creature. Disney will donate $5 to The Nature Conservancy for every creature created to help protect the planet’s oceans.
Avatar: The Way of Water is rated PG-13 and has a runtime of 192 minutes (3 hours 12 minutes). For more information or to purchase tickets in advance, visit https://tnaqua.org/imax/avatar-the-way-of-water/.
Avatar: The Way of Water showtimes (Eastern) ***All showings will be in 3D***
- Dec. 15: 7 p.m.
- Dec. 16-18: 2 p.m. | 5:45 p.m.| 9:30 p.m.
- Dec. 19-23: 3 p.m. | 6:45 p.m.
- Dec. 24: 2 p.m.
- Dec. 25 (Christmas): Theater will be closed
- Dec. 26: 3 p.m. | 6:45 p.m.
- Dec. 27-Jan. 1: 3:30 p.m.| 7:15 p.m.
- Jan. 2-16: 6:30 p.m.