Avatar (franchise)

Avatar
The official logo of the franchise.
Created by	James Cameron
Original work	Avatar (2009)
Owner	20th Century Studios
Years	2009–present
Print publications
Book(s)	List of books
Comics	List of comics
Graphic novel(s)	Avatar: The High Ground (2022–2023)
Films and television
Film(s)	Avatar (2009) Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) Avatar 3 (2025) Avatar 4 (2029) Avatar 5 (2031)
Games
Video game(s)	Avatar: The Game (2009) Avatar: Pandora Rising (2020) Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (2023)
Audio
Soundtrack(s)	Avatar (2009) Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (2023)
Miscellaneous
Toy(s)	Lego Avatar
Theme park attraction(s)	Avatar Flight of Passage (2017–present) Na'vi River Journey (2017–present)
Official website
www.avatar.com

Avatar is an American epic science fiction media franchise created by James Cameron, which began with the eponymous 2009 film. Produced by Lightstorm Entertainment and distributed by 20th Century Studios, and 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 film's central conflict is between the indigenous Na'vi led by Jake Sully and Neytiri, and humans led by Colonel Miles Quaritch from the Resources Development Administration (RDA), a megacorp which has arrived on Pandora to colonize and pillage it for its natural resources. 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 film of all-time. The second installment, The Way of Water, was released on December 16, 2022. The planned sequel series was announced by 20th Century Fox on December 11, 2009, one week before Avatar was released to theaters. 20th Century Fox had confirmed the series on January 15, 2010. The Avatar franchise is one of the most expensive franchises undertaken, with the combined budget of the first film and its four sequels estimated at $1 billion. The franchise has grossed over $5.2 billion worldwide; it is the 14th-highest-grossing film series of all time.

Like the original film, the four sequels have "fully encapsulated" stand-alone plots that "come to their own conclusions". The four films have an overarching meta-narrative that connects them to create a large interconnected saga.^[2] Cameron described the sequels as "a natural extension of all the themes, and the characters, and the spiritual undercurrents" of the first film.