On December 16, the silver screen will turn blue again as we are welcomed back to the mythical world of Pandora in James Cameron’s long-awaited sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water. 13 years after our introduction to this beautiful otherworldly land, moviegoers around the world will have the opportunity to see the sequel to what remains the highest grossing film of all time, at least internationally. What will happen in this long-delayed sequel remains a mystery, even as the days for its mid-December release draw closer. Via The Weeknd’s Twitter account, we now know that this hugely expensive sequel will feature a new song from the chart-topping Canadian singer. But just like the movie itself, we only get a small glimpse of what awaits us. That’s good, because luckily we don’t have to wait long.
The tweet simply reads “12.16.22” as we get a dramatic reveal of the sequel’s logo, along with a few seconds of the tune. It’s a choral track, full of percussion that punctuates the giant “A” that fills the frame. If you want to know more about what this music will contain, you are unfortunately out of luck. Those looking for additional details about the R&B musician’s contribution to Avatar: The Way of Water will have to wait patiently until closer to the film’s release, but we should learn more about it in time mysterious song.
While 2009’s Avatar featured plenty of spectacle, along with an inventive and spectacular score by the late James Horner, the film isn’t exactly known for its hit singles. It inspired no songs to appear in the top 40 tracks, which is quite remarkable compared to Celine Dion’s iconic rendition of Titanic’s “My Heart Will Go On”, which became an enduring radio staple. Of course, there’s no guarantee that whatever The Weeknd produces for this new movie will have the same pop culture and cinematic legacy, but at least it’s in good company. You don’t bet against Cameron, and if this movie becomes the same breakout hit (no pun intended) as his previous two movies, it could further legitimize The Weeknd as one of our headliners. But as we’ve said before, and we’ll probably say it again, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
This is certainly not the first time that The Weeknd contributed to a movie soundtrack. Most notably, he was nominated for an Oscar for his single “Earned It”, which was featured in Fifty Shades of Grey. Additionally, The Weeknd is the artist behind “Devil May Cry,” which can be heard on The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. However, despite the high-profile releases of those titles, Avatar: The Way of Water could surpass them, but it is assumed that this sequel will have the same status and success as its predecessor. At this point, even Cameron doesn’t know how well this movie will do compared to his previous two movies. But if there’s any good advice in Hollywood, it’s that the public should bet against James Cameron. Thankfully, The Weeknd is taking that advice and then some, and we’ll be hearing this new song soon.
As the musician points out in his original tweet, Avatar: The Way of Water will be released in theaters around the world on December 16th.