Back in August, without warning, James Cameron’s Avatar suddenly vanished from Disney Plus. With the movie returning to theaters for a limited time in September, the studio opted to force viewers to buy a ticket rather than stream the movie at home. Now, with less than a month to go until the long-awaited sequel — Avatar: The Way of Water — makes its theatrical debut, the original movie has finally returned to Disney Plus.
Unlike with the removal of Avatar earlier this year, Disney made sure to let subscribers know that the movie had returned to the streaming service on Monday:
The good news is that the movie is available again before the price of Disney Plus rises next month. The current ad-free plan will go from $8.99 a month to $10.99 a month on December 8. Meanwhile, the new ad-supported plan will cost $8.99 a month.
Disney acquired the Avatar franchise alongside the rest of Fox’s 21st Century Studios in 2019. Director James Cameron had already been developing the sequel for nearly a decade, and its preliminary shooting had begun in 2017. Cameron has since revealed that he plans to make four sequels in all, with one set to arrive every two years until 2028.
Whether or not Cameron is able to follow through with that plan, you will be able to see Avatar: The Way of Water in theaters on December 16. With a budget reportedly exceeding $250 million, it will need to be one of the highest-grossing movies of all time just to break even. James would really appreciate it if you bought a ticket.
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