Disney Plus removes Avatar ahead of theatrical re-release

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You can no longer stream Avatar on Disney Plus

Avatar
(Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

Disney Plus subscribers are no longer able to watch Avatar on the platform after the streamer removed James Cameron's 2009 sci-fi epic. The movie is set to be re-released in theaters on September 23 ahead of the release of Avatar 2 (officially titled Avatar: The Way of Water), so it is suspected that this was done to encourage more people to see the movie on the big screen. 

Avatar's re-release hasn't been confirmed as the reason that the movie has been pulled from the streamer, but the timing makes sense as a possible explanation. Avatar was on Disney Plus as Disney acquired the movie's studio, 20th Century Fox, back in 2019. The sequel will be released under the Disney-owned 20th Century Studios. 

Avatar: The Way of Water is set to explore the underwater world of the fictional planet Pandora and will focus on the Sully family – several years have elapsed since the events of the first movie and former marine turned Na'vi Jake (Sam Worthington) and Na'vi princess Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) are now parents. The cast of Avatar 2 also includes big names like Vin Diesel, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, Edie Falco, and Michelle Yeoh.  Three more sequels are set to follow in 2024, 2026, and 2028. 

Avatar: The Way of Water is set to hit the big screen on December 16. In the meantime, check out our guide to the rest of this year's most exciting movie release dates and the other best movies on Disney Plus that you can stream right now.

Emily Garbutt
Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.