Avatar 1 became the most successful film in cinema history in 2009 and changed the cinema experience forever, 3D experienced a boom. Next week, after almost half a decade of production and 13 years of waiting, Avatar 2: The Way of Water will start for us. But a lot has changed since Part 1.
The cinema attendance figures are steadily declining 3D boom is over and James Cameron’s blockbuster is under a lot of pressure: it has to be almost as successful as its record-breaking predecessor to not go down. But can the world of Pandora 2022 still unfold the same magic as it did 13 years ago? And what happens after part 2? We caught up with producer Jon Landau and asked.
The Avatar 2 producer on the massive effort behind the blockbuster
Avatar 2: The Way of the Water – Trailer 2 (German) HD
MP: James Cameron announced a sequel shortly after the success of Avatar 1, 13 years ago. Why did it take so long?
Jon Landau: It took so long because we didn’t just do one movie. We had to write four scripts, we had to shoot and design. We actually filmed movies 2 to 3 in their entirety and parts of movie 4. Look James [Camerons] career: something like this takes time. This also applies to the first Avatar film. We started working on it in 2005 and it came out in 2009. And that was just a movie.
What can we expect from the 3D in Avatar 2?
What audiences get from the 3D in Way of Water is something they can’t get at home. You only get that in the cinema. We use 3D to transport you into the world of film. I always say: [Ein Film] is not a world that comes out of a screen. He is a window into a world and the canvas disappears. I think it makes the audience connect more.
Why do people watch movies and series these days? They want to escape from the world we live in. You want to see something the same way you experience your life. We experience 3D every day and we should experience our movies in 3D too.
What can Avatar 2 show us that we haven’t seen in Avatar 1?
The biggest difference is that we’re going back to characters. It’s not about the landscapes, even if we take you to new vegetation zones. It’s the new characters. It’s the Sully kids, the teenagers trying to find their own identity and purpose in life. One of the characters believes she lives in her father’s shadow. Another is trying to find out who she is. She doesn’t know her place in life. These are issues that you can identify with, that people deal with every day and that’s probably the biggest innovation in this film.
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I feel like a lot of work has gone into the story and world building.
Movies aren’t about worlds, they’re about the stories you tell. The story was our top priority. We needed to tell a story that had a theme that would resonate with the audience. In our business, people often focus on the plot rather than the theme during development. The plot releases an audience from the cinema. What the audience takes away is the topic. James Cameron has always been able to write themes that are larger than the genres of his films.
We’ve seen a lot of backstories in the fantasy genre with Rings of Power and House of the Dragon lately. What I like about Avatar is that it moves forward. How much can this franchise grow in the future?
I believe that the world of Pandora and its characters can grow infinitely. We can go to different regions and encounter different cultures while following a few key characters that we want to embark on this journey with. Avatar 2 shows us a new generation of Sullys and I think audiences want to see them grow and grow old.
When does Avatar 2 start in cinemas in Germany?
Avatar 2 launches on Wednesday December 14th, 2022 in German cinemas. The start had been delayed again and again, most recently due to the corona pandemic. Here you can read more about why the theatrical release of Avatar 2 was always delayed. You can already buy cinema tickets for Avatar 2.
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