After more than a decade of broken promises and production delays, audiences’ first look at Avatar 2 is finally here. Disney’s 20th Century Studios released a teaser trailer on May 9 for Avatar: The Way of Water , the long-anticipated sequel to director James Cameron’s motion-capture blockbuster starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver. The brief preview is a triumphant return to the lush and vibrant world of Pandora, characterised by healthy ecosystems, majestic creatures, floating islands and thriving indigenous communities. According to the studio, The Way of Water takes place more than 10 years after Marine veteran Jake Sully (Worthington) fell in love with Na’vi princess Neytiri (Saldana), became an avatar and relocated permanently from Earth to Pandora. Now, Jake and Neytiri must protect their family and home from dangerous forces threatening their way of life. Rounding out the main cast of the sequel are Michelle Yeoh, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement and Kate Winslet. “I know one thing,” Jake says at the end of the teaser. “Wherever we go, this family is our fortress.” When Avatar opened in 2009, it set a global box office record of US$2.79 billion that went uncontested until Avengers: Endgame surpassed it in 2019. The same year Avatar hit theatres, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States, Facebook launched Farmville and rapper Kanye West interrupted singer Taylor Swift’s Grammy acceptance speech. All that to say: it’s been a minute-and-a-half since the first Avatar dazzled film-goers with its world-building and cutting-edge CGI. And fans have long been ready for the next chapter. One person tweeted they had seen it in the cinema eight times – the most they had ever seen any film. “I wanted to be in that world so bad … Been waiting a long time for this one and it looks so beautiful.” “13 freaking years and it’s finally here …!!!” wrote another. However, not everyone was impressed with the preview or excited about another round of Avatar -mania. One person mused that the film “just looks like a National Geographic documentary of the blue tall people”, while another remarked that it’s “wild how much the sci-fi and fantasy genres include cultural aesthetics from indigenous cultures around the world but rarely if ever actually include indigenous folks in their projects”. Like it or not, Cameron has vowed to release not just one, but four Avatar sequels in the coming years – though the franchise timeline has been repeatedly pushed back. ( Avatar 2 was originally set to be released in 2014.) Before The Way of Water splashes into cinemas this December, 20th Century Studios will re-release Avatar in theatres on September 23.