Avatar: The Way of Water Trailer Sees James Cameron’s Much-Awaited Return to Pandora

Building audience anticipation for nearly 13 years is a risky luxury. It’s one afforded to those with movie budgets north of $200 million, so I’m in no position to tell James Cameron how to do his job. The teaser trailer for Avatar: The Way of Water is now available on YouTube after premiering exclusively in theaters before Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness for the past week and a half.

Subject to many delays, due in part to Cameron’s desire to motion capture underwater, Avatar: The Way of Water is the first of four Avatar sequels set to release by 2028. The teaser sees the Na’vi splashing about lush bodies of water, riding mountain banshees, and seemingly preparing for battle. Pandora’s picturesque landscapes are on full display here, a reminder of the planet’s aesthetic potential which captivated viewers back in 2009.

Take a look:

Where Avatar surveyed human-Na’vi tensions, according to The Way of Water’s vague synopsis, the film “begins to tell 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.”

The film will feature Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana reprising their original roles in all their cyanic glory, Sigourney Weaver in a cryptic new role, and Pandora newcomers Kate Winslet, Michelle Yeoh, Jemaine Clement, Oona Chaplin and Edie Falco.

Avatar: The Way of Water hits theaters on December 16.