Avatar: The Way of Water: Return to Pandora with these exclusive images

(Image credit: 20th Century Studios/Lightstorm)

These days, box-office success virtually guarantees a sequel. But, despite Avatar being the highest-grossing film of all time, with a global take of $2.924bn, a follow-up has taken a long time to manifest. Thirteen years, to be accurate. But, this December, there’s finally a new opportunity to travel back to Pandora in sequel Avatar: The Way of Water.

As time has passed in the real world, so it has elapsed in Pandora. Na’vi power couple Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) are now parents to a growing brood of kids, and this first of four planned sequels explores the lengths that Neytiri and Jake will go to in order to protect their family.

The threat this time? The first film's big bad Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang) returns in Na’vi form, with a score to settle. And, inspired by Cameron’s fascination with the ocean, this film will explore hitherto unseen watery regions of Pandora.

Avatar: The Way of Water is on the cover of the new issue of Total Film magazine - out in print and digital on Thursday – and you can see three exclusive shots from the film above and below, featuring the new-look Quaritch and his band of ‘Recombinant’ marines, as well as Sigourney Weaver’s new Na’vi character, Kiri.

Avatar: The Way of Water

(Image credit: 20th Century Studios/Lightstorm)

Avatar: The Way of Water

(Image credit: 20th Century Studios/Lightstorm)

Preorder a copy of Total Film’s Avatar: The Way of Water issue here

Inside the new issue of Total Film, there are exclusive new interviews with Cameron, Saldaña, Worthington, Weaver and Lang, plus producer Jon Landau and the team behind the groundbreaking VFX.

Where the first film ushered in a 3D revolution, The Way of Water is upping the ante with a high frame rate (48 frames per second in comparison to the industry standard 24) that’s set to bring a new level of immersion to the film’s underwater sequences and action scenes.

Avatar: The Way of Water opens in cinemas on December 16. For much more on the film, check out the new issue of Total Film when it hits stands (and digital devices) this Thursday, November 10.

Total Film's Avatar: The Way of Water covers

(Image credit: 20th Century Studios/Total Film)

And if you’re a fan of Total Film, why not subscribe so that you never miss an issue? You’ll have it delivered to your door before it’s in shops, you’ll save money on the cover price, and you’ll get exclusive subscriber-only covers. Plus, with the current offer you can get a free pair of EarFun headphones worth £55. Head to MagazinesDirect to find out more (Ts and Cs apply).

Total Film's latest subscriber offer. — (Image credit: Total Film/20th Century Studios/EarFun)

Matt Maytum is the former Editor of Total Film magazine. Over the past decade, Matt has worked in various roles for TF online and in print, including at GamesRadar+. Bucket-list-ticking career highlights have included reporting from the set of Tenet and Avengers: Infinity War, as well as covering Comic-Con, TIFF and the Sundance Film Festival.