Nobody should be surprised that Avatar: The Way of Water turned out to be a massive blockbuster. The movie made nearly $1.75 billion as of this writing, which is another post-pandemic box office record. It’s still more than a billion dollars shy of Avatar’s $2.92 billion box office take, but The Way of Water still has time to make up some of that difference. And if you’re waiting for Avatar 2 to hit streaming services like Disney Plus, Netflix, Amazon, or HBO, then make yourself comfortable. You’re in for some extra waiting.
The long-awaited sequel delivers the saga’s next chapter, telling a story that takes place a decade after the original. On top of learning what Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) have been up to during the past decade, Avatar 2 also continues the exploration of the incredible world of Pandora. If you thought you saw everything there was to see about this amazing planet in the first movie, you’re in for a huge surprise.
All that storytelling and world-building needs time, which explains the film’s massive 3:15 hours runtime. If you’re a fan of Avatar, the time will fly as you explore the planet and enjoy the action.
But not everyone will want to sit through such a long movie in a theater. That’s where streaming services come in, and Avatar 2 will be available to play at home in the near future.
Even if you see The Way of Water in theaters, you’ll still want to rewatch it from home once it’s available.
When will Avatar 2 hit Disney Plus?
There’s good and bad news about streaming Avatar 2 at home. This is a Disney movie, which means the film will surely head to Disney Plus once its theatrical window closes. It’s unclear when that will happen, as the movie spent less than a month in theaters.
The Way of Water premiered on December 16th, and it’s still doing well in cinemas. There’s no real contender to steal moviegoers from Avatar 2, so plenty of people might continue to buy tickets for the sequel. And some people will want to rewatch it in theaters while it’s still playing.
Currently, there’s no Disney Plus release date for Avatar 2. But Disney should announce it at some point in the coming months.
Before Disney Plus, you’d expect Avatar 2 to hit the usual channels. HBO, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video would have been a few of the streaming choices for the sequel. But it’s unclear whether Disney will make that sort of deals with competing services.
Keeping The Way of Water a Disney Plus exclusive could turn more people into paying customers. That’s why releasing The Way of Water on other streaming sites seems unlikely.
When will Avatar 2 be available on Amazon?
While it’s unlikely you’ll stream Avatar 2 on Amazon Prime Video, the movie should be available on Amazon later this year. That is, you’ll be able to rent or purchase The Way of Water from Amazon, Apple, Google, and all the usual places that support digital movie releases.
Like streaming, there is no release date available for the digital/Blu-ray version of Avatar 2. Disney should announce more details once The Way of Water ends its theatrical run in the coming weeks.
Home video, including digital releases, could bring in additional revenue that can be very significant. That is, we shouldn’t be surprised to see Avatar 2 release on digital platforms and Blu-ray before it makes it to streaming.
Put differently, there is a chance Avatar 2 hits Amazon before Disney Plus. But in such a scenario, you’d pay to rent or purchase the movie on Amazon and other platforms. Whereas the Disney Plus avenue only requires a monthly subscription to the service.
Whatever the case, we should know more details about Disney’s home release and streaming intentions for Avatar 2 soon.
Meanwhile, you can rewatch the original Avatar on Disney Plus while you wait for the sequel’s release.
