James Cameron's sci-fi fantasy adventures Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water are finally coming to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs on June 20th. After following the advanced Streeming-only release structure similar to last year's mega-hit Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water will finally come to disc with new 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, AND Blu-ray 3D - with retailer exclusives to boot! There's a lot to dig into for each of these releases, but at the start - it's nice to see some effort from Disney in this regard.

Read Bryan's Theatrical Review - Read Matthew's 4K Streaming Review

Avatar - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Avatar: The Way of Water - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Avatar: The Way of Water - Blu-ray

Avatar: The Way of Water - Blu-ray 3D

Avatar: The Way of Water - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Best Buy SteelBook

Avatar: The Way of Water - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Walmart Exclusive Lenticular

Avatar: The Way of Water - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Target Exclusive - Decal 

Now that is A LOT of Avatar to digest! So on top of the remastered original Avatar getting its 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray debut, the sequel charges onto disc with multiple editions and retailer exclusives. Of the retailer exclusives, I'd be into that Best Buy SteelBook if it was actually accurate to the movie with Jake sporting his machine gun and NOT a stupid spear, so I'm giving Walmart the edge on the exclusives. Target once again shows their cards for not really caring about Physical Media with what is basically the standard 4K package... with a decal you can stick on your phone, tablet, or water bottle apparently! Whoohooo! (sarcasm)

Now for the best and most important details - the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray will finally see Disney/20th Century Studios release a BD-100 disc. Our press assets didn't list HDR grade, but I'm assuming they'd simply opt for HDR10 only. Atmos will be included along with an extra Blu-ray disc set for Bonus Features. The standard Blu-ray will only offer DTS-HD MA 5.1 but wildly enough the Blu-ray 3D disc will include DTS-HD 7.1 audio - it's not Atmos, but hey, it's better than the standard Blu-ray! Sadly there doesn't appear to be a 4K UHD + 3D Blu-ray combo pack available, at least here in the states. Other territories like Japan might offer that, they've been the one carrying the Disney 3D torch the last few years with their combo releases, so we'll keep our eyes out for that.

These aren't yet up for pre-order yet - but we expect them to start popping soon and when they wdo we'll update our listings so you can secure those orders ASAP.

Here's the full press release and spec sheet:

4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAY™ 3D, BLU-RAY, DVD & DIGITAL

PRODUCT AND SPECS FACT SHEET

Product Specifications

Street Date

Digital: March 28

Physical: June 20

Product SKUs

Digital: 4K UHD, HD, SD

Physical: 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital Code), Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + Digital Code), Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + Digital Code), & DVD

Feature Run Time

Approx. 192 minutes

Rating

U.S. Rated PG-13

**For sequences of strong violence and intense action, partial nudity, and some strong language

Aspect Ratio

Digital: 1.85

Physical: 1.85:1

Disc Size

4K UHD: 100GB

Blu-ray 3D: 50GB

Blu-ray: 50GB

DVD: 8.5GB

Bit Rate Actuals

4K UHD: 45 ABR

Blu-ray 3D: 29.5 ABR

Blu-ray: 23.3 ABR

DVD: 4 ABR

U.S. Audio

Digital: English 5.1/2.0, English Atmos (for some platforms), English 7.1 (for some platforms), English AD, French (for some platforms), Spanish (for some platforms)

Physical:

4K UHD: English 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos, English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 7.1 Dolby Digital

3D Blu-ray: English 7.1 DTS-HDMA , English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Dolby Digital French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital

Blu-ray: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA , English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Dolby Digital Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital

DVD: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital

U.S. Subtitles

Digital: English SDH, French (for some platforms), Spanish (some platforms)

Physical: English SDH, French, Spanish

Bonus Features* 

Inside Pandora's Box (A series of featurettes on the challenges facing cast and crew as filmmakers devise new technologies to push the limits of cinema)

• Building the World of Pandora – James Cameron and a team of talented artists combine years of research with their design skills to build the world of Pandora with new characters, creatures, indigenous clans, underwater environments and the take-no-prisoners hard-tech world of the RDA.

• Capturing Pandora – James Cameron’s approach to performance capture has the cast performing in a volume rigged with infrared cameras to capture their movement, and head rig cameras to capture emotion on their faces with only the boundaries of imagination to limit them.

• The Undersea World of Pandora – Co-production designer Dylan Cole and his team conceive of the marine creatures required for Avatar: The Way of Water while James Cameron and his stunt team devise extraordinary means to bring those creatures to life in a performance capture tank.

• The Challenges of Pandora's Waters – James Cameron tackles the “non-trivial challenge” of performance capture above and below the water’s surface, utilizing a wave machine and current generator to reproduce ocean conditions, and underwater vehicles to replicate creature movement.

• Pandora’s Returning Characters – James Cameron reunites with his returning cast – Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang. Together they discuss the amazing evolution of their characters in Avatar: The Way of Water. 

• Pandora’s Next Generation – Meet the talented young newcomers who have been cast as the next generation of Na’vi and follow them through the adventure of making Avatar: The Way of Water. 

• Spider's Web – James Cameron introduced the human character of Spider into the fabric of Pandora – thus creating a host of technological challenges on set…and an incredible journey for the young actor, Jack Champion.

• Becoming Na’vi – The Avatar cast is immersed in the culture of the indigenous Na’vi, living off the land in the Hawaiian rainforest and training in a multitude of disciplines in preparation for their roles.

• The Reef People of Pandora – In true James Cameron-style, the Metkayina reef clan has been developed with great attention to detail, bearing unique evolutionary traits and a culture – with new dwellings, new clothes and different way of life – all a result of living off the ocean. 

• Bringing Pandora to Life – Once James Cameron completes his virtual production process, every sequence is turned over to Wētā FX to bring Pandora to life – with unprecedented advancements in facial performance, environments and making CG water look real.

• The RDA Returns to Pandora – Co-production designer Ben Procter and his team present an armada of new vehicles and human technologies that the RDA brings to Pandora – in concept design and with practical builds.

• The New Characters of Pandora – Meet the important new characters of the Avatar saga played by Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell and Jemaine Clement.

• The Sounds of Pandora – Hear how James Cameron worked with composer Simon Franglen to create the distinctive music of The Way of Water while building on James Horner’s brilliant score for Avatar, and learn how Chris Boyes created the immersive sounds of Pandora.

• New Zealand – Pandora’s Home – The production of the Avatar sequels is so thoroughly ensconced in New Zealand that James Cameron considers The Way of Water a “New Zealand film.” Hear reflections from the cast and crew, including the remarkable New Zealand crew, on making the film.

More from Pandora's Box (Additional featurettes that highlight special teams within the production)

• Casting – Discover the screen tests that won the talented young cast their roles in Avatar: The Way of Water.

• Stunts – The Avatar stunt team isn’t just creating breathtaking action, they’re driving the story. From racing underwater on ilus, flying the skies on ikrans, to maneuvering RDA speed boats, the stunt team leaves you breathless and wanting more.

• The Lab – Explore the Lightstorm Lab, the backbone of virtual production for the Avatar films. Comprised of specialized teams, the Lab builds & supports every aspect of the production – environments, motion edit, Kabuki, sequence, post-viz and software development.

• The Troupe – Avatar’s Troupe is the Swiss Army Knife of acting, while playing dozens of roles on set, in the performance capture volume and on live-action sets, they bring life to Na’vi clans and RDA Recoms. They also play Na’vi-scale puppets on the live-action sets.

Marketing Materials & Music Video (Marketing materials used to build audience awareness of the film)

• Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength) Music Video – Multi-Grammy-winning, music superstar, The Weeknd, performs his emotionally packed end title song in the official music video for the smash hit “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength).”

• Theatrical Trailers 1 & 2 – Avatar: The Way of Water used two theatrical trailers to engage the audience. The first was a teaser trailer released 7 months before the film. The second was a standard trailer that premiered 5 weeks before the film’s release. 

English Family Audio Track – 5.1 Dolby Digital

*Bonus features vary by product and retailer

His name is James, James Cameron
The bravest pioneer
No budget too steep, no sea too deep
Who's that?
It's him, James Cameron
James, James Cameron explorer of the sea
With a dying thirst to be the first
Could it be? Yeah that's him!
James Cameron

Prepare to return to Pandora on March 28th for James Cameron's Avatar: The Way of Water is coming to digital retailers
Prime, Vudu, Apple TV, and other Movies Anywhere-connected Platforms.

After an impressive critical response - even if our own Bryan Kluger was less forgiving in his review (I liked it a lot BTW) - Avatar: The Way of Water one again proved that you never bet against James Cameron because James Cameron will do what James Cameron does because James Cameron is James Cameron. Now this announcement is only for the digital streaming sale/rental release on various platforms. No word about Disney+ and certainly no news about disc release so we don't have any word on a new Blu-ray or 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of Avatar - and we certainly don't know when The Abyss or even True Lies might be coming down the pipeline. Hopefully, the wait for a disc announcement isn't as long as Top Gun: Maverick. Needless to say - 2023 is a big year for James Cameron fans. What we do know is what's coming with this streaming release and it'll give you an idea of what to expect for the eventual disc releases of Avatar: The Way of Water.

Bonus Features:

Inside Pandora's Box (A series of featurettes on the challenges facing cast and crew as filmmakers devise new technologies to push the limits of cinema)

• Building the World of Pandora – James Cameron and a team of talented artists combine years of research with their design skills to build the world of Pandora with new characters, creatures, indigenous clans, underwater environments and the take-no-prisoners hard-tech world of the RDA.
• Capturing Pandora – James Cameron’s approach to performance capture has the cast performing in a volume rigged with infrared cameras to capture their movement, and head rig cameras to capture emotion on their faces with only the boundaries of imagination to limit them.
• The Undersea World of Pandora – Co-production designer Dylan Cole and his team conceive of the marine creatures required for Avatar: The Way of Water while James Cameron and his stunt team devise extraordinary means to bring those creatures to life in a performance capture tank.
• The Challenges of Pandora's Waters – James Cameron tackles the “non-trivial challenge” of performance capture above and below the water’s surface, utilizing a wave machine and current generator to reproduce ocean conditions, and underwater vehicles to replicate creature movement.
• Pandora’s Returning Characters – James Cameron reunites with his returning cast – Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang. Together they discuss the amazing evolution of their characters in Avatar: The Way of Water. 
• Pandora’s Next Generation – Meet the talented young newcomers who have been cast as the next generation of Na’vi and follow them through the adventure of making Avatar: The Way of Water. 
• Spider's Web – James Cameron introduced the human character of Spider into the fabric of Pandora – thus creating a host of technological challenges on set…and an incredible journey for the young actor, Jack Champion.
• Becoming Na’vi – The Avatar cast is immersed in the culture of the indigenous Na’vi, living off the land in the Hawaiian rainforest and training in a multitude of disciplines in preparation for their roles.
• The Reef People of Pandora – In true James Cameron-style, the Metkayina reef clan has been developed with great attention to detail, bearing unique evolutionary traits and a culture – with new dwellings, new clothes and different way of life – all a result of living off the ocean. 
• Bringing Pandora to Life – Once James Cameron completes his virtual production process, every sequence is turned over to Wētā FX to bring Pandora to life – with unprecedented advancements in facial performance, environments and making CG water look real.
• The RDA Returns to Pandora – Co-production designer Ben Procter and his team present an armada of new vehicles and human technologies that the RDA brings to Pandora – in concept design and with practical builds.
• The New Characters of Pandora – Meet the important new characters of the Avatar saga played by Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell and Jemaine Clement.

• The Sounds of Pandora – Hear how James Cameron worked with composer Simon Franglen to create the distinctive music of The Way of Water while building on James Horner’s brilliant score for Avatar, and learn how Chris Boyes created the immersive sounds of Pandora.
• New Zealand – Pandora’s Home – The production of the Avatar sequels is so thoroughly ensconced in New Zealand that James Cameron considers The Way of Water a “New Zealand film.” Hear reflections from the cast and crew, including the remarkable New Zealand crew, on making the film.

More from Pandora's Box (Additional featurettes that highlight special teams within the production)

• Casting – Discover the screen tests that won the talented young cast their roles in Avatar: The Way of Water.
• Stunts – The Avatar stunt team isn’t just creating breathtaking action, they’re driving the story. From racing underwater on ilus, flying the skies on ikrans, to maneuvering RDA speed boats, the stunt team leaves you breathless and wanting more.
• The Lab – Explore the Lightstorm Lab, the backbone of virtual production for the Avatar films. Comprised of specialized teams, the Lab builds & supports every aspect of the production – environments, motion edit, Kabuki, sequence, post-viz and software development.
• The Troupe – Avatar’s Troupe is the Swiss Army Knife of acting, while playing dozens of roles on set, in the performance capture volume and on live-action sets, they bring life to Na’vi clans and RDA Recoms. They also play Na’vi-scale puppets on the live-action sets.

Marketing Materials & Music Video (Marketing materials used to build audience awareness of the film)

• Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength) Music Video – Multi-Grammy-winning, music superstar, The Weeknd, performs his emotionally packed end title song in the official music video for the smash hit “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength).”
• Theatrical Trailers 1 & 2 – Avatar: The Way of Water used two theatrical trailers to engage the audience. The first was a teaser trailer released 7 months before the film. The second was a standard trailer that premiered 5 weeks before the film’s release.

*Bonus features vary by product and retailer

Cast

Sam Worthington as Jake Sully

Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri

Sigourney Weaver as Kiri

Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch

Kate Winslet as Ronal

Cliff Curtis as Tonowari

Jamie Flatters as Neteyam

Britain Dalton as Lo’ak

Trinity Jo-Li Bliss as Tuk

Jack Champion as Spider

Bailey Bass as Tsireya

Joel David Moore as Dr. Norm Spellman

CCH Pounder as Mo'at

Edie Falco as General Frances Ardmore

Jemaine Clement as Dr. Ian Garvin

Brendan Cowell as Scoresby

Giovanni Rabisi as Parker Selfridge

Directed by

James Cameron

Produced by

James Cameron

Jon Landau

Executive Produced by

David Valdes

Richard Baneham

Screenplay by

James Cameron & Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver

Story by

James Cameron & Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver & Josh Friedman & Shane Salerno

Product Specifications:

Street Date: Digital: March 28

Product SKUs: Digital: 4K UHD, HD, SD

Feature Run Time: Approx. 192 minutes

Rating: U.S. Rated PG-13

**For sequences of strong violence and intense action, partial nudity, and some strong language

Aspect Ratio: Digital: 1.85

U.S. Audio: Digital: English 5.1/2.0, English Atmos (for some platforms), English 7.1 (for some platforms), English AD, French (for some platforms), Spanish (for some platforms)

U.S. Subtitles: Digital: English SDH, French (for some platforms), Spanish (some platforms)

Not the 'Halo' PC fans are looking for.

One of the big things missing from movies purchased online is coming to iTunes

In just 16 days, Activision pulled in a cool billion.

James Cameron declares himself King of the Shovel...

The bundle deal runs until February of 2012, exclusivity is the big question.

If you really want it, you can get it. If you've got it, it's time to sell.

More special features, deleted scenes, and screen tests are available NOW!

A week ago, I was invited to take part in the 'Avatar' Blu-ray press day, at a fancy schmancy penthouse in midtown Manhattan. Jon Landau, producer of the biggest movie of all time, was on hand for the event, which included a brief introduction to several sequences from the Blu-ray (projected, beautifully, via HD projector).

Mobile theaters will start pulling into US cities starting next month.