The world of Pandora will once again be open to moviegoers — and it looks just as vibrantly exotic as ever.
On Monday, directorJames Cameronunveiled never-before-seen concept art for his highly anticipated sequel to 2009’sAvatarduring a presentation at the 2020 CES in Las Vegas, according toVariety.
In the four artist’s renderings of what viewers can expect in the upcoming movie, the planet of Pandora is expanded to more awe-inspiring locales and environments.
One glimpse shows the iconic blue alien characters bonded to their winged Banshee creatures as they soar above a sunny beach. Another first look depicts two native Na’vis soaking in a sunset off at the horizon.
The other concept designs promise out-of-this-world visuals between floating mountains and luminous waters in the sequel, whichBBC Newspreviously reported may be titledThe Way of Water.
20th Century Fox
Avatar 2Concept Art.20th Century Fox
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories
The so-called “Vision AVTR” concept car is centered on sustainability and touted as a “completely new interaction between human, machine and nature,” according toVariety.
At the time of its release back in 2009, theoriginalAvatarwowed audiences with its technical achievements and stunning visual effects.
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock
Aside from returning cast members likeZoë Saldana,Sam WorthingtonandSigourney Weaver, the sequel addsVin Diesel,Michelle YeohandKate Winslet, who previously worked with Cameron on 1997’sTitanic.
Cameron revealed in February 2019 that Winslet, 44, “was a phenomenal collaborator and just so gung-ho” aboutpreparing for her roleas Ronal, a free-diving member of the Pandoran race.
The film required underwater scenes that Winslet had to prep for, Cameron toldVulture.
“She was really excited about doing the water work and at her peak, I think she held her breath for seven-and-a-half minutes — not during the scene but just during the training,” he said at the time. “She was regularly doing two- or three-minute scenes, underwater acting and swimming.”
Cameron added, “She truly embraced the physicality of the character.”
“She was a dream to work with — not the pain in the a— that she was the first time,” he joked. “No, she was a dream onTitanicas well.”
Avatar 2is in theaters on Dec. 17, 2021.
source: people.com
