James Cameron’s Avatar is returning to cinemas worldwide this September. However, the movie seems to have been removed from the Disney+ streaming service ahead of its theatrical re-release, possibly to get more people to buy tickets again for its return. Reports suggest that it will come back to Disney+ shortly before its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, releases this December.

According to Variety, Avatar is currently not available to Disney+ subscribers as Disney quietly removed the movie from the service. The decision was likely motivated by the return of the movie to cinemas for a limited run this September, possibly as a marketing strategy for the sequel. James Cameron’s sci-fi epic remains the highest grossing film of all time at the box office, though it was almost dethroned by Avengers: Endgame.

READ MORE The Batman 2 Still in Development After Warner Bros Cancellations

Avatar will return to cinemas on 23 September for a limited theatrical run of two weeks. With it will come 4K High Dynamic Range and some visual improvements. The experience will largely remain unchanged, though it will give audiences who didn’t catch it during its initial lengthy 2009 theatrical run a chance to watch it on the big screen.

Though Avatar‘s storytelling and writing was criticised during its initial release, the movie’s groundbreaking visuals and cinematography were particularly praised. Director James Cameron aims to recapture that lightning in a bottle with Avatar: The Way of Water, a sequel that will transport viewers to the oceans of Pandora.

At the time of writing (via Box Office Mojo), Avatar dominates the worldwide box office rankings at number one, followed closely by Avengers: Endgame and Cameron’s own Titanic. Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Avengers: Infinity War and Spider-Man: No Way Home trail behind.

Avatar: The Way of Water releases in cinemas on 16 December 2022.

Source: Variety