Summarize and humanize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in English
It looks like someone finally turned in his homework on time.
James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Water,” the third and only installment in the saga that hasn’t been plagued by endless release date delays, unveiled the very first trailer on Thursday afternoon at CinemaCon, the annual gathering of movie theater owners in Las Vegas. (To be fair, Cameron shot the follow-up films back-to-back, so the rest of the otherworldly sci-fi series should arrive on time).
CinemaCon attendees were given 3D glasses to watch the trailer, which hasn’t been released to the general public. The dazzling footage begins on Pandora and introduces two new Na’vi clans — the Wind Traders, who soar in the sky using what resemble highly stylized hot air balloons, and their adversaries, the Fire People, who arrive by riding Ikran flying creatures. As a battle begins in the skies, one Na’vi is shot with a flaming arrow and killed.
“We can not live like this, baby” Jake Sully tells his beloved Neytiri. “We can not live with this hate.”
“Avatar” follows the clan of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) on the alien moon of Pandora. “Avatar: Fire and Ash” picks up moments after the events of “The Way of Water,” which charts the conflict between the blue-skinned humanoids known as the Na’vi against the villainous Resources Development Administration. After the death of Jake Sully’s son Neteyam, he and his family seek refuge with the aquatic clan called Metkayina and continue the fight against the RDA as well as the new fiery foe. Their fight takes them across all kinds of sweeping terrain, spanning from the ocean and skies to forests and mountains.
Later in the extended footage, the Water chief concludes, “We can not defeat this enemy who comes from the stars.”
Saldaña took the stage at CinemaCon to introduce the never-before-seen footage and set the scene for the third chapter: “The Wind Traders are a peaceful, nomadic air-traveling clan, and the Ash People are former Na’vi who have forsaken Eywa,” a deity on Pandora. At one point in the trailer, the female Ash clan leader tells Neytiri, “Your goddess has no place here.”
Cameron wasn’t in attendance (he’s putting the final touches on “Avatar 3”) but he appeared in a pre-recorded video to tell exhibitors about the threequel. “The Sully family are really put through the wringer on this one as they face not only the human invaders,” he teased, “but new adversaries, the Ash People.”
Cameron apologized for failing to make the trek to Las Vegas for CinemaCon. But the room full of exhibitors were likely pleased with the filmmaker’s excuse.
“So sorry I can’t be there, but I’m in New Zealand, finishing up ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ which I think we can all agree is a good use of my time, considering this sucker is coming at us like a freight train on Dec. 19,” Cameron cracked in the video. “I hope this film can provide a shot in the arm for theater owners, as we’re still struggling after the one-two punch of the pandemic and streaming.”
“Avatar,” of course, has become the holy grail for exhibitors and just about the only property that could inspire theater operators to equip their venues with the best possible technology to play Cameron’s epics. After all, 2009’s “Avatar” and 2022’s long-long-long-delayed sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water” each grossed over $2 billion globally and stand as two of the biggest movies in history. Should “Fire and Ash” chart a similar box office path, “Avatar” will be the only film franchise in history with three installments to gross above $2 billion. (Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe only has a measly two, 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame” and 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War.”) Meanwhile Cameron is already the sole filmmaker with three movies to generate more than $2 billion, the other being “Titanic.”
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” will hit theaters ahead of Christmas on Dec. 19. Meanwhile, “Avatar 4” is scheduled for Dec. 21, 2029 and “Avatar 5” is slated for Dec. 19, 2031.
Also during Disney’s CinemaCon showcase, the studio offered exclusive looks at Marvel’s “Thunderbolts” and “Fantastic Four: The First Steps,” as well as “Zootopia 2,” “Freakier Friday,” “Tron: Ares” and the live-action “Lilo & Stitch” remake, all of which will land on the big screen before the year’s end.
“Disney films are exclusively in theaters for longer than any of our competitors,” the studio’s global distribution chief Andrew Cripps proudly told the room of cinema owners. “Trust me, that is not by accident. We believe in the theatrical experience.”
