‘Avatar’ Returns After More Than a Decade With No Plot, Just Blue Alien Vibes in ‘The Way of Water’ Trailer

More than a decade after the release of the original film, the trailer for James Cameron’s long-awaited Avatar sequel has arrived. Avatar: The Way of Water is set to hit theaters on Dec. 16 as the first of four planned continuations of the fantasy world created in 2009.

The first official look at the film catches up with the Sully family in Pandora more than 10 years after Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Na’vi Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) left off. In this fantastical Avatar future, there’s no clear plot, exactly — just blue aliens and vibes.

The loosely presented conflict places the Sullys in the line of nondescript fire as they fight to maintain a sense of safety in the midst of turmoil. “I know one thing,” Jake declares in the trailer. “Wherever we go, this family is our fortress.” Whatever that means.

Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang return to the Avatar world in their roles as Dr. Grace Augustine and Colonel Miles Quaritch, respectively. The film is also to feature new cast additions with Vin Diesel and Kate Winslet, who was last paired with Cameron for Titanic.

The director originally planned for the four sequels, which were reportedly filmed simultaneously, to be released in two-year increments across December 2021, December 2023, December 2025, and December 2027. Now, the release of each film will be shifted forward a year to accommodate for the multiple delays that have plagued their production.