Shall We Get Enchanted Together? Before Departing for Pandora Again, Viewing 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' in 3D

Finally, a blockbuster that seemed like it would never come is here. A new adventure in Pandora that the whole world has been waiting for. 〈Avatar: Fire and Ash〉 is set to be released in December 2025, bringing a new story of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family against the backdrop of the beautiful alien planet Pandora. It has been three years since 〈Avatar: The Way of Water〉 in 2022, and considering the time it took from the first film 〈Avatar〉 to the second 〈Avatar: The Way of Water〉, it feels like it has come quickly (this is how the reporter feels 'enraptured'). Fortunately, the reporter was able to see the trailer for 〈Avatar: Fire and Ash〉 in theaters on the 23rd, which was released online on July 29. And still, the 〈Avatar〉 series is alive and well, and I was assured that its visuals would once again sweep the audience away. Although some time has passed, I will share my feelings from watching the online trailer.

〈Avatar: Fire and Ash〉 is the third installment in the 〈Avatar〉 series. The first 〈Avatar〉 depicted how human Jake Sully was inspired by the Na'vi through his avatar and ultimately chose to become one of them. The second film, 〈Avatar: The Way of Water〉, dealt with Jake Sully and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) leaving the forest to join the oceanic 'Metkayina' clan to protect their family. Moving beyond the simple conflict between humans and aliens, the former villain Quaritch (Stephen Lang) resurrects as a Na'vi, and characters like Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) and Spider (Jack Champion) stand at the boundary between humans and Na'vi, creating a multi-layered conflict structure.

This time, 〈Avatar: Fire and Ash〉 has made 'fire' a significant motif, challenging the 'water' theme of the previous film. As James Cameron mentioned several times in interviews, "There are evil Na'vi too," the conflict between the Mankwan clan living in volcanic regions and Jake Sully's family is central to the story. Of course, humans and Colonel Quaritch from the previous film cannot be left out.

The trailer showcases the visuals of the first two films while providing a very brief introduction that reminds us of the previous stories, followed by an overview of 〈Avatar: Fire and Ash〉. From scenes of creating airships using new life forms to the final confrontation between Neytiri and what seems to be human machinery, every part allows us to enjoy the dazzling and beautiful visuals that the 〈Avatar〉 series boasts.

Having seen this trailer in 3D in theaters, the clarity may be better in 2D, but the unique sense of depth it provides is incomparable. The 〈Avatar〉 series is almost the only work that treats 3D screenings as a main feature rather than a supplement. The 3D boom that surged in the late 2000s seemed to promise a significant industrial impact. From the perspective of theaters and production companies, they could sell more expensive tickets for 3D screenings than for 2D, so they had to be interested. However, most films used conversion methods that turned 2D footage into 3D rather than actual 3D filming, which significantly reduced the sense of depth and immersion. Additionally, the drawbacks of 3D, such as dark screens (since polarized glasses are worn for 3D effects, they appear darker even with the same projector), were highlighted. To improve this, theaters would need to upgrade their systems, but few theaters were willing to incur such losses for a few 3D films.

However, the only film that has been called a 'true 3D movie' in such circumstances is 〈Avatar〉. Generally, 3D filming involves installing two cameras on a rig, which limits mobility and scalability. James Cameron designed 3D filming cameras from the beginning for 〈Avatar〉 and built a 3D fusion system (in collaboration with James Cameron, Vince Pace, and Sony). To overcome the darkness that is a downside of 3D footage, he designed a world that emits light overall. While 〈Avatar〉 does involve live-action filming, considering its style of layering 3D CGI over that, adjusting the perspective between the background and subjects would have been easier than in live-action films.

From the planning stage, 〈Avatar〉 has become a 'critically endangered species' that continues to conduct 3D filming and screenings. 〈Avatar: Fire and Ash〉 is expected to perfectly capture that outstanding sense of depth. Especially in this work, there will likely be many scenes where numerous forces clash, and in the trailer, we could catch a glimpse of the layered depth in the scene where humans encounter the Mankwan clan. The overhead shots passing through the forest, close-ups of Lo'ak aiming a weapon, and scenes where objects overlap are just the beginning. From wide shots capturing the vast background to close-ups focusing on characters' expressions, the 3D viewing of the 〈Avatar: Fire and Ash〉 trailer made me wish for December, when this movie returns, to come as soon as possible.

〈Avatar: Fire and Ash〉 is set to be released this December. Given the substantial length of the trailer (a whopping 2 minutes and 33 seconds for the first trailer) and the hints at the developments, it seems likely to approach 3 hours like its predecessor. Since the previous film reignited the theater craze worldwide right after the COVID-19 pandemic, it is curious whether this movie will lead to similar box office success. Especially in the Korean theater market, which is still considered to be in a slump, it raises questions about how the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026 will be written.