James Cameron’s Avatar, which became a worldwide phenomenon 13 years ago, will return to theatres on September 23 for a limited engagement including an astonishing 4K dynamic range. This news follows the recent removal of the film from Disney+. The teaser, which was posted on the official Avatar YouTube website, gives viewers a glimpse at some of the film’s iconic scenes in their enhanced 4K form, showing the film’s rich and brilliant new colour palette.
The teaser shows Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) exploring Pandora in his avatar body, and features a montage of the stunning visuals that captivated viewers in 2009. Following a quick sequence of actions, the video concludes with Jake and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) exchanging an “I see you.” A new poster for the film, featuring a close-up of Neytiri in combat gear, was also unveiled in tandem with the teaser. The landmark science fiction epic from 2009 is finally making its way back to cinemas, giving a whole new generation of moviegoers the opportunity to view it the way it was intended to be seen: on the big screen.
The re-release coincides with the December release of the much-anticipated sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water. After the film’s limited theatrical run ends, it will likely be released on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. When exactly this will happen is unknown. When the first Avatar movie came out in 2009, it revolutionised the film industry with its groundbreaking use of motion capture technology and cutting-edge 3D. The picture, which garnered positive reviews from both critics and viewers, went on to break records at the box office by becoming the first to earn over $2 billion worldwide.
For a long time, Avatar held the record for highest grossing film of all time, but in 2019, Avengers: Endgame was released and narrowly overtook it. But it didn’t last long, as the 2021 re-release of the film in China sent the science fiction epic back to the top, where it remains to this day. After a long wait, moviegoers will be able to see Pandora once more in the cinemas next month. The 23rd of September marks the return of Avatar to cinemas of all media.