Where To Watch Avatar For Free Ahead Of Sequel’s Release
James Cameron’s Avatar, the most successful movie of all time (when not adjusted for inflation), is finally, 13 years after release, making its debut on broadcast television. Variety broke down the networks, dates, and times for when viewers can watch Avatar. In just a week, the long awaited sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water will finally be hitting theaters, bringing fans back to Pandora for the first time since 2009.
Fans can watch Avatar first on ABC, Sunday December 11th, at 7:00 PM EST. After that, FX is the second channel showing the film, Thursday, December 15th and Sunday, December 18th from 8:00 PM EST. Finally, Freeform will air the movie just after Christmas on Monday, December 26th at 7:30 PM.
As for streaming services, those interested can watch Avatar on Disney+, with the special features. Originally, the extended cut was not included despite Disney enabling special features, but now the extra eight minutes are viewable on the service. The film was pulled form streaming earlier this year, just briefly, while the movie was re-released into theaters for one last theatrical run.
The first Avatar was an event film, especially when watched in 3D, which experienced a resurgence in popularity thanks to James Cameron’s cutting-edge technology behind the amazing visuals. Starring Sam Worthington as a human that pilots a man-made avatar of the native Na’vi who then meets and falls in love with Zoe Saldana’s Neytiri, the two then try and stop the Resources Development Administration from obtaining a priceless metal called….unobtanium. Common consensus is that while the film was amazing to watch, the plot was a giant pile of sci-fi nonsense.
Fans going to watch the second film, Avatar: The Way of Water, can expect a film that is longer, louder, more visually lush, and with some of the best underwater effects committed to film. James Cameron made a name for himself with his cutting-edge special effects, and this time around, he developed a new technique for capturing 3D underwater images. The man behind The Abyss and Titanic knows how to make water look beautiful and terrifying, sometimes at the same time.
Titanic star Kate Winslet is working with Cameron, for the first time since the boat sunk, on Way of Water. While filming a stunt, Winslet set a new underwater record, previously held by Tom Cruise. Fans of Avatar will get to watch the actress’ hard work soon, in glorious 3D, without having to worry about bathroom breaks.
James Cameron films are famous for being watched multiple times, famously starting with Terminator 2 and then becoming a cultural phenomena with Titanic and the first Avatar. Anyone watching Avatar when it airs on broadcast tv will have to take advantage of the commercial breaks, as the film’s network runtime has ballooned to four hours.
Watching Avatar on broadcast networks becoming possible 13 years after release, and it being a news item people are interested in, speaks to the cultural impact of the movie. All eyes will be watching theaters, worldwide, next week when Avatar: The Way of Water debuts on December 16th.
