Now that Avatar: The Way of Water has become a proven box office juggernaut, fans are eagerly awaiting any Avatar 2 streaming news. After 13 years of waiting and plenty of doubt that the movie would happen, Avatar: The Way of Water proved that no one should bet against James Cameron. Given the long wait for the sequel, the streaming aspect of the film is entirely different from the original. In 2009 when Avatar was released, most modern popular streaming services were in their early inception, and 20th Century Fox owned the film.
Now that streaming services have become a norm in the film and TV industry, and Disney has acquired 20th Century Fox under their banner, the streaming release for Avatar: The Way of Water will be very different. With Avatar 2 breaking box office records on its way to nearly $3 billion worldwide, there was clearly no rush to get the movie to streaming platforms. However, after much speculation about if and when the movie would debut on Disney+, an Avatar 2 streaming release date has been announced.
Avatar: The Way Of Water Hits Streaming On March 28
The Avatar: The Way of Water streaming release date has officially been set for March 28, 2023. This comes over three months after the movie first debuted in theaters. This date marks when Avatar 2 will be available for rental on major streaming platforms like Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, and Movies Anywhere. This does not include the release of Avatar 2 on Disney+ nor the Blu-ray sales date which will come later. Impressively, this month marks the first time Avatar 2 was not in the top 5 at the box office since its release in December. While it speaks to its incredible run in theaters, it also suggests the move to streaming is a smart one now.
Avatar: The Way Of Water Won’t Release On Disney+ For A Long Time
While the Avatar 2 streaming release is set for March 28, it will still be a while before it hits Disney+. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, studios altered their plans by allowing theatrical releases to appear on their respective streaming services between one and two months after opening. While some studios are still following this format, Disney has proven their willingness to allow films to reach their box office potential, whatever that may be. This was seen with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever which arrived on Disney+ in February following its theatrical release in November. The case has been the same with 2022’s highest-grossing film at the box office Top Gun: Maverick, which got a Paramount+ release seven months after its theatrical release.
The Avatar: The Way of Water box office, combined with this slight change in how studios are utilizing streaming services, means it is unlikely that the film releases on Disney+ anytime soon. As before James Cameron proved doubters wrong by delivering a sequel more than a decade later that proved there was still plenty of love for the Avatar franchise. So while the movie is finally starting to slow down at the box office, Disney+ subscribers will have to have a little more patience. Luckily, as with the release of Avatar 2 in theaters, these fans have gotten used to waiting.