Those compliments will surely bode well for Avatar: The Way of Water, a film that could end up becoming the most expensive movie ever and one that will need every single fan of the original from the US to China (and then some more) to be able to turn a profit. Massive budget aside, the tallest hurdle Avatar 2 will have to overcome will probably be how much time has passed since the original Avatar came out.
Never mind all that though, as del Toro still loved the film so much that he took to Twitter to call it “a staggering achievement.” Del Toro said the Avatar sequel is Cameron “at the peak of his powers” to round out his thoughts and possibly convince more than a few folks who were hesitant to go see it. Above all things, he seems to marvel at the scale of Avatar: The Way of Water, which makes his opinion even more worth listening to considering del Toro’s work has always held aesthetic values in such high esteem.
The friendship between the two directors goes way back. Before becoming famous in Hollywood, Cameron helped del Toro secure over $1 million in cash to rescue his father from a gang of Mexican kidnappers in 1997. Such a horrible event is bound to have marked the two men forever, although del Toro’s passion for cinema alone should be enough to guarantee that this is him giving out his honest review of Avatar 2.
Many of del Toro’s movies have won him praise precisely due to the sheer beauty and imagination behind the worlds he’s built, namely in Pan’s Labyrinth or The Shape of Water, and his ability to adapt the Hellboy comics. Del Toro’s Pinocchio has received plenty of plaudits, despite it being the Mexican director’s first foray into stop-motion animation.
Last year’s Nightmare Alley got del Toro his second Best Picture nomination at the Oscars, so if he says Avatar: The Way of Water is worth watching, many will follow suit. For anyone who does not remember exactly what happened in the first Avatar, the movie is back up on Disney Plus after being pulled temporarily when its remastered version was rereleased in theaters a couple of months ago.
Avatar: The Way of Water will premiere in theaters on December 16, 2022.
MORE: Avatar: The Way of Water Doesn’t Have the Benefit Of Being Unique
Source: Guillermo del Toro | Twitter
