Multi-billion-dollar sci-fi epic sequel Avatar: The Way of Water has secured a nomination for Best Picture at the 95th Academy Awards 2023, following in the footsteps of its predecessor. However, where things change is with Best Director, as James Cameron finds himself snubbed from the list of nominees.
Avatar: The Way of Water has been nominated for a total of four Oscars, including Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Picture and, of course, Best Visual Effects. So a little short of Avatar’s nine nominations. Despite this recognition, it will no doubt disappoint fans of the long-awaited sequel to see that Cameron, who has won for Best Director before back in 1998 for the sweeping romantic epic Titanic, is lacking from Best Director.
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The nominees making up the shortlist for Best Director this year is as follows; Daniel Kwan and Daniel Schienert for Everything Everywhere All at Once, Todd Field for Tár, Martin McDonagh for The Banshees of Inisherin, Ruben Östlund for Triangle of Sadness, and Steven Spielberg for The Fabelmans.
Avatar: The Way of Water has been a monumental success, recently crossing the $2 billion mark and further expanding on the rich world of Pandora with the sorts of visuals and epic storytelling that only Cameron can achieve. The snub once again demonstrates the Academy’s complicated relationship with both CGI-heavy franchises and the science fiction genre as a whole.
But worry not, as with three more Avatar sequels on the way, Cameron will have plenty more opportunity to take home that Best Director Oscar.
RELATED: Avatar: The Way Of Water’s Success Sees James Cameron Become First Filmmaker To Direct Three $2 Billion Movies
James Cameron Has Already Revealed Details for Avatar 3
20th Century Studios
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, Avatar: The Way of Water tells the story of the Sully family, the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure. Directed by James Cameron, Avatar: The Way of Water stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao, and Matt Gerald, each of whom reprised their roles from the original movie, with Sigourney Weaver returning as a new character. New cast members include Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, and Brendan Cowell.
While we may have waited over a decade for the second outing, we will not be waiting anywhere near as long for the third, with Avatar 3 reportedly already 95% finished. Cameron recently revealed a few details regarding Avatar 3, including that the threequel will introduce two more Na’vi tribes and change narrator.
“Fire has a symbolic purpose in the film and there’s a culture that is specifically around that concept,” the filmmaker explained. “That’s probably saying too much as we speak. You’re going to meet two completely new cultures in the next film. We met the Omaticaya, we met the Metkayina, and you’re going to meet two new cultures in the next film, and it kind of roves a little more freely around the world of Pandora to different places.”
Avatar: The Way of Water is now in theaters, with three more sequels scheduled. Avatar 3, meanwhile, is currently due for release on December 20, 2024, with further installments planned for December 18, 2026, and December 22, 2028.
