'Avatar 3' trailer to screen before 'Fantastic Four' in theaters
What's the story
The much-anticipated trailer for Avatar: Fire and Ash will be exclusively screened in theaters before Marvel's Fantastic Four: First Steps, starting Friday. This is part of the promotional strategy for James Cameron's upcoming sci-fi epic. The third installment of the franchise is scheduled to hit theaters later this year on December 19.
Trailer details
Picks up from where 'The Way of Water' ended
The trailer, which was first revealed at CinemaCon in April, takes viewers back to Pandora and introduces two new Na'vi tribes. The Wind Traders, who navigate the skies in hot-air balloon-like devices, are introduced along with their enemies, the Fire People. The first-look footage had teased a conflict between these two clans, with one Na'vi being killed by a flaming arrow.
Plot continuation
What to expect from 'Fire and Ash'?
Fire and Ash picks up where The Way of Water left off, with Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family teaming up with Pandora's water tribe, the Metkayina. They are now up against the Ash People, a faction that has broken away from the Na'vi clan and their nature-worshipping religion. The film will explore this new conflict as well as internal discord among the Na'vi.
Character reveal
Who is the new villain, Varang?
The trailer also introduces a new villain, Varang, played by Oona Chaplin. Sigourney Weaver's character Kiri, the daughter of Neytiri and Jake, gets captured by Varang. The footage shows Varang traversing a volcanic landscape illuminated by magma while wearing a spiky red-and-black headdress. She ominously declares, "Your goddess has no dominion here."
Franchise success
'Avatar' franchise continues to break box office records
The franchise has been a massive commercial success, with both Avatar and The Way of Water grossing over $2 billion worldwide. If Fire and Ash is able to follow suit, it will become the only franchise to have three films cross the $2 billion mark. The fourth and fifth Avatar films are scheduled for release on December 21, 2029, and December 19, 2031.