One of the most anticipated films in recent years, and the third highest-grossing film of all time, Avatar 2: The Way Of Water, is finally coming to Disney+ in the UK (and around the world), where subscribers will be able to watch it at no extra cost.
The sequel to James Cameron’s 2009’s Avatar, starring Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña was first released digitally via all the major VOD stores in the UK on April 4, 2023 – 109 days after its theatrical release.
The film will become available on Disney’s streaming service on June 7, 2023 – 173 days after its theatrical release.
In addition to the film itself, the Disney+ version will also include bonus content featuring the filmmakers, cast and crew (see more details below).
Avatar: The Way Of Water was released in UK cinemas on December 16, 2022. Therefore, its Disney+ release date is 173 days after its theatrical release – which is not a long time when compared to huge blockbusters of years past (but still longer than Marvel’s recent films, for example).
Avatar: The Way of Water, directed by James Cameron, is now the third-highest grossing film of all time, having made more than $2.2 billion worldwide. It was pretty popular in the UK as well, with a gross income of $92 million.
The film also received four Academy Award nominations, including for Best Picture.
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, Avatar: The Way of Water launches the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
All of this against the breathtaking backdrop of Pandora, where audiences are introduced to new Na’vi cultures and a range of exotic sea creatures that populate the majestic oceans.
The film stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis and Kate Winslet.
How To Watch “Avatar: The Way of Water” On Disney+
Disney+ (see our full review) can be streamed on most streaming devices and Smart TVs in the UK, and includes content from the worlds of Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, National Geographic and Star – which is Disney’s general entertainment category for more mature audiences.
In the UK, Disney+ costs £7.99/month or £79.90/year – and you can subscribe directly via this link.
Later this year, Disney+ is expected to launch an ad-supported tier, which will presumably come alongside a price increase – but the exact pricing details aren’t known yet.
Avatar 2 will become available on Disney+ in the UK (and many other countries) on June 7, 2023 (where you can also currently watch the original Avatar).
New or existing subscribers will then be able to watch it in Ultra HD (4K) at no extra cost.
Customers who prefer to buy the film outright (digitally), can do so on VOD platforms such as Amazon’s Prime Video store.
Avatar: The Way Of Ware Bonus Features
Disney is promising bonus features for the Disney+ edition of Avatar 2.
While we don’t have exact details yet – it’s safe to assume at least some of the bonus features from the Digital VOD Edition of Avatar 2 will be available on the Disney+ version.
So, take this list with a grain of salt – but expect to find at least some of these:
Inside Pandora’s Box
A series of featurettes on the challenges facing cast and crew as filmmakers devise new technologies to push the limits of cinema:
Building the World of Pandora – James Cameron and a team of talented artists combine years of research with their design skills to build the world of Pandora with new characters, creatures, indigenous clans, underwater environments and the take-no-prisoners hard-tech world of the RDA.
Capturing Pandora – James Cameron’s approach to performance capture has the cast performing in a volume rigged with infrared cameras to capture their movement, and head rig cameras to capture emotion on their faces with only the boundaries of imagination to limit them.
The Undersea World of Pandora – Co-production designer Dylan Cole and his team conceive of the marine creatures required for Avatar: The Way of Water while James Cameron and his stunt team devise extraordinary means to bring those creatures to life in a performance capture tank.
The Challenges of Pandora’s Waters – James Cameron tackles the “non-trivial challenge” of performance capture above and below the water’s surface, utilizing a wave machine and current generator to reproduce ocean conditions, and underwater vehicles to replicate creature movement.
Pandora’s Returning Characters – James Cameron reunites with his returning cast – Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang. Together they discuss the amazing evolution of their characters in Avatar: The Way of Water.
Pandora’s Next Generation – Meet the talented young newcomers who have been cast as the next generation of Na’vi and follow them through the adventure of making Avatar: The Way of Water.
Spider’s Web – James Cameron introduced the human character of Spider into the fabric of Pandora – thus creating a host of technological challenges on set…and an incredible journey for the young actor, Jack Champion.
Becoming Na’vi – The Avatar cast is immersed in the culture of the indigenous Na’vi, living off the land in the Hawaiian rainforest and training in a multitude of disciplines in preparation for their roles.
The Reef People of Pandora – In true James Cameron-style, the Metkayina reef clan has been developed with great attention to detail, bearing unique evolutionary traits and a culture – with new dwellings, new clothes and different way of life – all a result of living off the ocean.
Bringing Pandora to Life – Once James Cameron completes his virtual production process, every sequence is turned over to Wētā FX to bring Pandora to life – with unprecedented advancements in facial performance, environments and making CG water look real.
The RDA Returns to Pandora – Co-production designer Ben Procter and his team present an armada of new vehicles and human technologies that the RDA brings to Pandora – in concept design and with practical builds.
The New Characters of Pandora – Meet the important new characters of the Avatar saga played by Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell and Jemaine Clement.
The Sounds of Pandora – Hear how James Cameron worked with composer Simon Franglen to create the distinctive music of The Way of Water while building on James Horner’s brilliant score for Avatar, and learn how Chris Boyes created the immersive sounds of Pandora.
New Zealand – Pandora’s Home – The production of the Avatar sequels is so thoroughly ensconced in New Zealand that James Cameron considers The Way of Water a “New Zealand film.” Hear reflections from the cast and crew, including the remarkable New Zealand crew, on making the film.
More from Pandora’s Box
Additional featurettes that highlight special teams within the production:
Casting – Discover the screen tests that won the talented young cast their roles in Avatar: The Way of Water.
Stunts – The Avatar stunt team isn’t just creating breathtaking action, they’re driving the story. From racing underwater on ilus, flying the skies on ikrans, to maneuvering RDA speed boats, the stunt team leaves you breathless and wanting more.
The Lab – Explore the Lightstorm Lab, the backbone of virtual production for the Avatar films. Comprised of specialized teams, the Lab builds & supports every aspect of the production – environments, motion edit, Kabuki, sequence, post-viz and software development.
The Troupe – Avatar’s Troupe is the Swiss Army Knife of acting, while playing dozens of roles on set, in the performance capture volume and on live-action sets, they bring life to Na’vi clans and RDA Recoms. They also play Na’vi-scale puppets on the live-action sets.
Marketing Materials & Music Video
Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength) Music Video – Multi-Grammy-winning, music superstar, The Weeknd, performs his emotionally packed end title song in the official music video for the smash hit “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength).
Theatrical Trailers 1 & 2 – Avatar: The Way of Water used two theatrical trailers to engage the audience. The first was a teaser trailer released 7 months before the film. The second was a standard trailer that premiered 5 weeks before the film’s release.
Or why in the uk are we always been ripped off?.
Why is the uk tv scene so fragmented?