Inside Forbidden Planet’s Avatar: The Way of Water Event

I just returned from an impromptu Avatar event at London’s Forbidden Planet comic book store. James Cameron is in town for a Q&A elsewhere in London today. Still, first, the young stars of the new Avatar: The Way Of Water movie (and its sequel a couple of years hence), Jack Champion, Trinity Bliss, Jamie Flatters, and Bailey Bass, were making an appearance at Forbidden Planet with producer Jon Landau. Some had queued through the day in the cold winter that had decided to hit the capital, but with the line limited to the first hundred people, some were prepared to wait and secure their place.

I thought I was a big fan of the original movie, but talking with some of the folks at the front of the line, opened up a whole new level. But all of us are very excited indeed to see the latest iteration of this gonzo blockbuster, derided by certain critics but loved by us. And yes, that’s Avatar Guy from YouTube (almost) at the front.

And then they were amongst us, young faces with cheekbones that would cut a man down at a hundred paces… and Jon Landau. They’d seen the finished film a few days ago, which they had been making since 2017, and were very happy with their younger performances, with Landau emphasising his joy at having seen them grow into the actors and people they are now.

And there was special love for the Na’vi cosplayers amongst the crowd…

I got a poster signed myself, thanks to Disney PR and chatted to the co-owner of Forbidden Planet, Nick Landau (no relation to Jon), who was very happy to see Forbidden Planet back with a bang after the lockdown with a big media event like this, and telling me that 2022 will make more money for the store than any year in its forty-five-year history. And he held my poster for me, for this shot…

Avatar: The Way Of Water, set more than a decade after the events of the first film, will begin 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. Directed by James Cameron and produced by Cameron and Jon Landau, the Lightstorm Entertainment Production stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet. Screenplay by James Cameron, Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver. Story by James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Josh Friedman & Shane Salerno. David Valdes and Richard Baneham serve as the film’s executive producers. Avatar: The Way Of Water will be released on the 16th of December, 2022.