Breaking: ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ to Debut on Max and Disney+ Next Month

In a move that is perhaps as surprising as the continued box office success of the franchise itself, it was announced today that James Cameron’s blockbuster sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water” will make its subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming premiere on June 7 on Max and Disney+. On May 23, Warner Bros. Discovery’s new streaming service Max will officially launch, combining all of HBO Max’s library of content with the vast majority of titles from discovery+.

The fact that “The Way of Water” is streaming on any service other than Disney+ is a fairly major surprise. 2009’s original “Avatar” film streams exclusively on Disney’s flagship streamer, but it appears that a contract between 20th Century Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery that predates Disney’s acquisition of the Fox assets will allow Max to stream the film alongside Disney+.

Last summer, Disney opted to put “Predator” prequel “Prey” exclusively on Hulu as a way to avoid having to share streaming rights with HBO Max. While that film ended up being a massive success for the Disney streaming service, there was no way that the company would be able to pull a similar maneuver with “Avatar: The Way of Water.”

To date, the sequel has brought in over $2.3 billion at the worldwide box office, making it the third highest-grossing film in history, behind only the original “Avatar” and “Avengers: End Game”; Cameron’s “Titanic” is currently in fourth all-time.

Coming just two weeks after the launch, being able to market “The Way of Water” as a part of its streaming library should be a fairly major selling point for Max. Alongside the “Harry Potter” films, the DC Universe, Peter Jackson’s “Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings,” and more, “Avatar” The Way of Water” only helps bolster the relaunched service’s appeal.

The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning for Best Visual Effects. It stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Kate Winslet, and more. Returning to Pandora, the world created in the original film, the sequel tells the emotionally packed story of the Sully family and their fight to survive after being targeted and attacked by human invaders. As with all Cameron films, “The Way of Water’s” visuals are breathtaking, and the movie introduces the audience to a completely different Na’vi culture than the tribe that lives in the shade of the Spirit Tree.

Now, streaming subscribers to both Disney+ and Max will be able to enjoy the beauty of the setting and the story the film from the comfort of their homes, starting next month.