Avatar Movie Cast, Plot and Everything to Know

An All New World Awaits

Amy Renner

Last modified: Aug. 23, 2022

Avatar

Release Date: Friday, December 18, 2009 Theaters Friday, September 23, 2022 Theaters

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington • Zoe Saldana • Sigourney Weaver • Wes Studi • C.C.H. Pounder

PG-13 Action 2 hrs, 36 m

4.31 / 5.0

86% WILL SEE 14% WON'T SEE

Rent or buy

Plot – What's the story about?

Plot: In the epic action adventure fantasy "Avatar", James Cameron, the director of "Titanic", takes us to a spectacular new world beyond our imagination. On the distant moon Pandora, a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption, discovery and unexpected love - as he leads a heroic battle to save a civilization.

The story’s protagonist, Jake Sully, is an ex-Marine who was wounded and paralyzed from the waist down in combat on Earth. In order to participate in the Avatar program, which will give him a healthy body, Jake agrees to travel to Pandora, a lush rainforest environment filled with incredible life forms – some beautiful, many terrifying. Pandora is also the home to the Na’vi, a humanoid race that lives at what we consider to be a primate level, but they are actually much more evolved than humans. Ten feet tall and blue skinned, the Na’vi live harmoniously within their unspoiled world. But as humans encroach on Pandora in search of valuable minerals, the Na’vi’s very existence is threatened – and their warrior abilities unleashed.

Jake has unwittingly been recruited to become part of this encroachment. Since humans are unable to breathe the air on Pandora, they have created genetically-bred human-Na’vi hybrids known as Avatars. The Avatars are living, breathing bodies in the real world, controlled by a human driver through a technology that links the driver’s mind to the Avatar body. On Pandora, through his Avatar body, Jake can be whole once again. Moreover, he falls in love with a young Na’vi woman, Neytiri, whose beauty is matched by her ferocity in battle.

As Jake slides deeper into becoming one of her clan, he finds himself caught between the military-industrial forces of Earth, and the Na’vi – forcing him to choose sides in an epic battle that will decide the fate of an entire world.

Conceived 14 years ago and over four years in the making, "Avatar" breaks new ground in delivering a fully immersive, emotional story and reinvents the moviegoing experience.

Action Adventure Drama Sci-Fi Thriller 3D Shot-In-3D

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Will you see Avatar?

86% of people who rated this movie are planning to watch it.

14% of people have indicated they do not plan to see this movie.

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Who is making Avatar – Crew List

A look at Avatar behind-the-scenes crew and production team. The film's director James Cameron last helmed Avatar: Fire and Ash and The Abyss. The film's writer James Cameron last penned Avatar: Fire and Ash and Avatar: The Way of Water 3D.

Director: James Cameron
Screenwriter: James Cameron
Producers: James Cameron
Jon Landau

Studios: 20th Century Studios
Production Company: Lightstorm Entertainment

Production – What we know about the Avatar

Key Facts

More than ten years in the making, "Avatar" marks Cameron's return to feature directing since helming 1997's "Titanic", the highest grossing film of all time and winner of eleven Oscars® including Best Picture. WETA Digital, renowned for its work in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "King Kong", will incorporate new intuitive CGI technologies to transform the environments and characters into photorealistic 3D imagery that will transport the audience into the alien world rich with imaginative vistas, creatures and characters.

Movie Filming Timeline: Production Status Updates

Nov 2009

Completed

Changed Avatar movie production status. The movie is ready for release.

Dec 2008

Post-Production

Changed the movie production status to Post-Production. The movie is now in the editing and finishing stages.

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Additional Information

Parent Rating: PG-13 Parents Strongly Cautioned for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking
Runtime: 2 hrs, 36 m
Tagline: An All New World Awaits
Also known as: Project 880
Language: English

Avatar Trailers and Clips

Avatar

Re-Release Teaser #2

Avatar

Theatrical Trailer #2

Avatar Release Date: When was the film released?

Avatar was released in nationwide movie theaters on Friday, December 18 , 2009. The film was released in approximately 3,452 theaters. There were four other movies released on the same date, including Nine, The Young Victoria and Fall Down Dead. Additional information: IMAX 3-D and conventional 3-D theaters.