Why Is Avatar Getting a Re-release to Theaters? (Explained)

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When it was released, Avatar was an epic science fiction film that was unlike anything that had been seen before, and it broke box office records worldwide. Avatar hit theaters on 16 December 2009, and now, almost 13 years later, it returns to theaters for its re-release in 4K HDR. But, why is Avatar getting a re-release to theaters?

According to the movie’s director James Cameron, Avatar is getting a re-release so that a younger audience can experience watching the movie in theaters since it has been 13 years since the movie premiered in theatres. The long-anticipated sequel of Avatar, Avatar: The Way Of Water is now also set to be released on December 16, 2022, so a re-release of the first installment of the movie is also a preparation for the audience for that and an instrument for ‘testing the waters’, and to have some approximate insight into how many people will be interested in the sequel.

Let’s analyze a little further why is Avatar getting a re-release to theaters.

It’s been almost 13 years since the movie premiered

Director and producer of the movie, James Cameron said that he wanted to make a movie that would change the way people watch movies, and he certainly achieved that with Avatar. The movie was an epic science fiction film that was unlike anything that had been seen before, and it broke box office records worldwide. Now, almost thirteen years later, he was asked the question what is the purpose of Avatar being re-released to theatres, and this is what he had to say on the topic:

“It’s been 12 years since the release, and so basically if you’re under 22 or 23 years of age, it’s very, very unlikely that you’ve seen the film in a movie theater. Which in a way kinda means you haven’t seen the film. We authored the film for the big screen, for the giant screen, in 3D. And now we’ve remastered it in 4K, in high-dynamic range and some 48-frame-per-second sections in the film.”

– James Cameron

Back in 2009, the technology used in the movie was very innovative and required a lot of time to create. The special effects and 3D motion capture used in the movie were unlike anything that had been seen before in any other movie, and this made the movie very realistic. The CGI used in Avatar was so realistic that it won 3 Academy Awards. Avatar won the 82nd Academy Awards for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects, and was nominated for a total of nine, including Best Picture and Best Director.

So, that was then, and now in 2022, when it’s being released in 4K High Dynamic Range, even Cameron himself admits that he was blown away with how the physical appearance of the movie felt after being remastered. So he urges everybody to see the movie once again in a re-mastered form. He also wants to introduce a younger audience to the experience of watching Avatar in theaters because he feels that this movie can only be fully appreciated if watched that way.

The re-release is ‘testing the waters’ for Avatar: The Way Of Water

Avatar is going to be in theatres for a two-week period. After that, fans won’t have to wait long as the long-anticipated sequel to Avatar, Avatar: The Way Of Water is set to premiere on 16 December 2022. So there are several reasons for Avatar being back in theaters. In a way, it is trying to remind the audience why they fell in love with this movie in the first place, but this time offering the opportunity to watch it in even better quality.

There is a high chance that a vast majority of the population who will watch a re-mastered version of Avatar will also buy a ticket three months later for Avatar: The Way Of Water. So, this is also a great way to ‘examine the market’ for movie producers.

Avatar: The Way Of Water

Avatar is a perfect commercial for its sequel as it provides a direct insight into what kind of graphic and CGI quality the viewers can expect from the sequel also. Not all 3D movies are made equal, and that is where Avatar takes place on top because the special effects and 3D motion capture used in the movie are unlike anything that had been seen before in any other movie, and this makes the movie very realistic.

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Why is Avatar getting a re-release to theaters?

Avatar is getting a re-release so that a younger audience can experience watching the movie in theaters since it has been 13 years since the movie premiered in theatres. The Director of the movie, James Cameron feels that this movie can only be fully appreciated if watched on a big screen. And now, after being remastered even Cameron himself admits that he was blown away with how the physical appearance of the movie feels.

The other reason is that a long-anticipated sequel to Avatar, Avatar: The Way Of Water is set to premiere on 16 December 2022. This re-release wants to remind the fans of the world of Pandora and of everything it has to offer, but at the same time to give some kind of insight into how big of an audience Avatar still has. There is a high chance that a vast majority of the population who will watch a re-mastered version of Avatar will also buy a ticket three months later for Avatar: The Way Of Water.

Avatar was re-released on 23 September 2022 in a 4K High Dynamic Range providing a whole new experience to watching this epic science fiction film.

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