'Avatar: The Way of Water' splashes down on Disney+ and Max in June

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Director James Cameron's 'Avatar' sequel dives onto two streaming platforms for summertime viewing.

Avatar: The Way of Water
"Avatar: The Way of Water." (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

"Avatar: The Way of Water" enjoyed a robust swim in the worldwide box office ocean during its initial theatrical run, which began on Dec. 16, 2022. 

The 3.5-hour sci-fi spectacle from director James Cameron eventually collected an astonishing $2.3 billion in ticket sales, becoming the third highest grossing film of all time.

Now the film is teleporting directly into the comforts of your home. 20th Century Studios just announced that "Avatar: The Way of Water" will officially plunge onto the streaming services of both Disney+ and Max (the former HBO Max) starting on June 7, 2023.

Related: Review: 'Avatar: The Way of Water' is a striking sci-fi fantasia drowned in Hollywood cliches

Still from the movie Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). Here we see two tall blue pi-pedal creatures called Na'vi (female on the left, male on the right). They both have blue skin with dark blue stripes and long black hair. They have triable tattoos on their face and are wearing some ocean-themed garments.

Still from "Avatar: The Way of Water" (2022). Here we see two tall blue bipedal creatures called Na'vi (female on the left, male on the right). They both have blue skin with dark blue stripes and long black hair. They have tribae tattoos on their face and are wearing some ocean-themed garments.  (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

In a rare partnership between competing streamers, this joint releasing deal unites the entertainment titans of Disney+ and Max in a pioneering contract inked last year that lets Max share streaming duties with Disney+ and Hulu for 50% of their studio titles from 2022’s roster. 

In addition to this unusual dual delivery collaboration, "The Way of Water" can also be streamed free on Amazon Prime Video via that platform's seven-day free trial to Max.

Thirteen years after the original "Avatar" took multiplexes by storm to become the number one movie in Hollywood history with a $2.9 billion haul, "Avatar: The Way of Water" returned to the tropical moon Pandora and its treasure of mineral resources. 

Backed by 20th Century Studios, "The Way of Water" showcases the talents of Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and Kate Winslet. The ensemble cast also adds Michelle Yeoh, Cliff Curtis, CCH Pounder, Joel David Moore, Edie Falco and Jemaine Clement.

Avatar: The Way of Water

Still from "Avatar: The Way of Water." (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)
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Its storyline starts a decade after the events of 2009's original film, with the native Na'vi aliens still being bullied by a brutal mining corporation while Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) are trying to raise a family in the sandy reef region of this exploitable exotic world. As forces threaten their safety, Jake must gather allies and attempt to battle back against his greedy enemies.

Cameron's second trip to Pandora scored a total of four Academy Award nominations and grabbed the coveted gold statuette for Best Visual Effects. The blockbuster also won a BAFTA Award earlier this year for Best Special Visual Effects. 

"Avatar: The Way of Water" flows onto Disney+ and Max beginning June 7, 2023.

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Jeff Spry
Jeff Spry
Contributing Writer

Jeff Spry is an award-winning screenwriter and veteran freelance journalist covering TV, movies, video games, books, and comics. His work has appeared at SYFY Wire, Inverse, Collider, Bleeding Cool and elsewhere. Jeff lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon amid the ponderosa pines, classic muscle cars, a crypt of collector horror comics, and two loyal English Setters.