Will Avatar: The Way of Water Usher In a New Renaissance of 3D Movies?

When Avatar was released in 2009, it was meant to bring in the best of 3D, but that never happened. Will it happen this time around?

Will Avatar: The Way of Water Usher In a New Renaissance of 3D Movies?

Avatar was the first 3D movie to hit theaters in 2009. No more were you able to see a single piranha in your red and blue paper glasses. Many theaters had to install the RealD 3D systems to make Avatar their main attraction. Avatar grossed a staggering $2B at the box office, and director James Cameron won three Oscars. Thirteen years was the wait to see the next great 3D movie, the sequel to James Cameron's original. It may have been a waste of time. Due to technological limitations, James Cameron had to work for thirteen years to make Avatar 2. Lightstorm Entertainment, his studio, was the first to use motion capture technology in order to make the movie possible. We were left with films that were 90% 2D, 10% 3D. A portion of the 3D was used to create trailers for the next movie. It was a popular gimmick that theaters and studios loved. This allowed them to charge three dollars more for tickets that were already priced out. 20th Century Studios 3D faded over time, just like any other fad. This led to a decline in revenue streams, a rise in popcorn prices, and many of those bad movies that studios made ended up on television instead of being shown at the cinema. Then came Netflix, and the industry lost all its sense of direction. People were the only ones not complaining. Streaming continued its rise in popularity. Each screen could be considered a home theater. 20th Century Studios Avatar, The Way of Water was released on December 15, to great critical acclaim. Everyone was happy for a while. The Way of Water: Avatar did well. This could be the beginning of a new trend. The hope is that Avatar The Way of Water will bring 3D movies to life. The trailer for Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania was attached to the Avatar movie. The trailer was fully 3D and gave the quantum realm a vibrant atmosphere and color. What does this leave us with? The Way of Water Avatar In the end, this will all be the same as before. Like everything else in society, cycles exist. There are trends that die, new genres, and improvements in the theater-going experience. James Cameron said that five Avatar movies will be possible if everything goes according to plan. Even though the movies only do a fraction the business as the original Avatar, headlines will still include phrases such "flocked to the theaters." The production of each movie takes many years. It may take years for the whole franchise to be completed. There will be many movies with 3D elements over the next year. Soon, viewers will return to their TVs and streaming services. They will be seeing the same commercials as old channels. They will get tired of that experience. We can only hope that 3D technology, which is not stuck in the cycle of waiting for the next film, will continue to make progress and not get trapped again.