Franchise paves way for cinema technology

Picking up a few weeks after the end of Avatar: The Way of Water, the new story opens with the Sully family — led by Jake Sully, a former human soldier-turned-Na'vi, and Neytiri, the Na'vi princess — still living among the oceanic Metkayina Clan and the picturesque reefs of Pandora. While grieving the loss of their eldest son, Jake and Neytiri find themselves once again pursued by Colonel Miles Quaritch, the main antagonist, and his new ally Varang, the Ash People's ruthless female leader.

Turning 71 years old in August, Cameron was just 19 when he first conceived the core idea for Avatar. After dreaming of a bioluminescent forest, he woke up and made a color sketch. Decades later, having already become a celebrated director through blockbusters such as The Terminator (1984) and Aliens (1986), Cameron wrote the script for Avatar in 1995, three years before he famously declared himself the "king of the world" at the Oscars as Titanic swept the awards.