Avatar: The Way of Water — where to stream, trailer, cast and everything we know

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) in Avatar: The Way of Water
Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) in Avatar: The Way of Water. (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

Avatar: The Way of Water has arrived over a decade after the original film was in cinemas and it's now available on streaming. 

The film focuses on Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), following on from the events of the first film that saw Jake permanently transferred into his avatar after Neytiri saves him from suffocation.

Speaking about the sequel, producer Jon Landau told Entertainment Weekly: "Ultimately, the sequels are a story about family, and the lengths parents will go through to keep that family together and keep them safe.

He added: "I always say that [James Cameron's] movies have universal themes — and really, there's no more universal theme than family."

Avatar: The Way of Water release date

The much-anticipated sequel was one one of the biggest new movies in 2022, and got a global release on December 16, 2022, exclusively in cinemas. 

It is now available on the streaming service Disney Plus as well as the original Avatar movie.

In the US it'll also be available on Max, formerly HBO Max, along with lots of bonus content, as well as being available to rent or buy.

Avatar: The Way of Water plot

The official film plot reads: "Jake Sully and Neytiri have formed a family and are doing everything to stay together. However, they must leave their home and explore the regions of Pandora. When an ancient threat resurfaces, Jake must fight a difficult war against the humans."

In addition to this the film will explore the oceans of Pandora and they used underwater motion capture technology during the filming process.

Avatar: The Way of Water cast

Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana reprise their roles as Jake and Neytiri, and they are joined by Stephen Lang who returns as the dead Colonel Miles Quaritch. It has been revealed he is the main villain, with him detailing to Empire that his character is a "recombinant," who has the mind and emotions of Quaritch downloaded into a new body. Sigourney Weaver also returns as Jake and Neytiri's teenage daughter Kiri. 

Kate Winslet is a new member of the cast, confirmed to play the role of Ronal in the upcoming sequels.

In addition to this, during an interview with Empire Magazine, producer Jon Landau revealed that there was a new human character in the sequel called Spider (Jack Champion). This character was raised in the bioluminescent jungle by Jake and Neytiri.

Other actors in the movie include Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco and Jemaine Clement.

Avatar: The Way of Water trailer

Yes, fans can see the official trailer online after it debuted in theatres. Immerse yourself in the world of Pandora once again and tune in below...

A full trailer for Avatar: The Way of Water has now been released so you can get an even better idea of what to expect. You can watch below...

Avatar: The Way of Water reactions — what people are saying

The first round of Avatar 2 reactions are in and they are glowing, with many saying the movie surpasses the original.

Avatar: The Way of Water awards and nominations

We've put together a list of Avatar: The Way of Water's major awards and nominations:

Academy Awards

  • Best Picture (nominee)
  • Best Production Design (nominee)
  • Best Sound (nominee)
  • Best Visual Effects (nominee)

BAFTA Awards

  • Best Sound (nominee)
  • Best Visual Effects (nominee)

Golden Globes

  • Best Picture: Drama (nominee)
  • Best Director — James Cameron (nominee)

Critics Choice Awards

  • Best Picture (nominee)
  • Best Director — James Cameron (nominee)
  • Best Cinematography (nominee)
  • Best Production Design
  • Best Editing
  • Best Visual Effects

Los Angeles Film Critics Association

  • Best Production Design (winner)

National Board of Review

  • Top 10 Film

American Film Institute

  • AFI Movie of the Year

Avatar: The Way of Water director

James Cameron is one of the most successful directors in Hollywood history. Many of his movies have become widely regarded as classics, including Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Titanic and the first Avatar.

Avatar: The Way of Water is Cameron's first narrative movie since Avatar and he is not looking to stop any time soon, already at work with Avatar 3, 4 and 5.

Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Now she works for our sister site TechRadar in the same role. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.

She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress