Avatar is an American epic science fiction media franchise created by James Cameron, which began with the eponymous 2009 film.
Produced by 20th Century Studios and distributed by Lightstorm Entertainment, it consists of associated merchandise, video games, and theme park attractions.
[1] Avatar is set in the mid-22nd century on Pandora, a lush habitable moon of a gas giant in the Alpha Centauri star system.
The title of the series refers to the genetically engineered Na'vi body operated from the brain that humans pilot to interact with on Pandora.
The first installment, Avatar, was released on December 18, 2009, and is the highest grossing motion picture of all-time when ticket price inflation is not considered.
Avatar was written and directed by James Cameron, The cast includes Sam Worthington, Zoë Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore, Giovanni Ribisi, CCH Pounder, Dileep Rao, Matt Gerald, Laz Alonso, and Wes Studi, and was set in the year 2154.
The story focuses on an epic conflict on Pandora, an inhabited Earth-sized moon of Polyphemus, one of three gas giants orbiting Alpha Centauri A.
Assisting the corporate monolith known as the Resources Development Administration (RDA), he is given an avatar which he uses to interact with the story's heroine, Neytiri, as well as her clan known as the Omatikaya.
Avatar: The Way of Water was written and directed by James Cameron, The cast includes Sam Worthington, Zoë Saldaña, Joel David Moore, Sigourney Weaver, CCH Pounder, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Trinity Bliss, Jamie Flatters, Britain Dalton, and Jack Champion, and was set 13 years after the first film in the year 2170.
Fire and Ash started shooting simultaneously with The Way of Water in New Zealand on September 25, 2017; filming was completed in late December 2020.
[51] Toruk – The First Flight is an original stage production by the Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil which ran between December 2015 and June 2019.
Inspired by Avatar, the story is set in Pandora's past, involving a prophecy concerning a threat to the Tree of Souls and a quest for totems from different tribes.
[70][71][72] It was first brought up on Avatar websites and forums, such as in thousands of posts of people discussing their experience with depression after watching the first movie.
Reported "symptoms" include sadness,[73] depression, a feeling of meaninglessness and a dissatisfaction with one's existence and the real world, [69][74] and worries about the future of Earth and issues such as climate change.
[70][66][71] To cope with the depression, Psychology today advised to maintain realistic expectations for the real world and focus on its positive aspects like people and hobbies,[76][73] while Avatar fans organized group meetings to sometimes talk about their struggle.
Both Avatar films have drawn criticism for casting several white and other non-indigenous actors in the roles of the alien native people.
[81] In 2012, Cameron said Avatar is a fictional retelling of the history of North and South America in the early Colonial period, "with all its conflict and bloodshed between the military aggressors from Europe and the indigenous peoples".