War is coming to Pandora — again.
On Thursday, 20th Century Studios released a new trailer for “Avatar: Fire and Ash” offering more glimpses of the gorgeous world of James Cameron’s upcoming sci-fi epic as well as teasing to some of its story.
“This is the only pure thing in this world,” Varang (Oona Chaplin), the leader of the fiery Mangkwan Clan, says in the trailer as she waves her hands over crackling flames. “The fire came from the mountain. Burnt our forest. My people cried for help but Eywa did not come.”
The film’s new clan of Na’vi, also called the Ash People, are among the adversaries that Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and family are set to face in the third “Avatar” installment. Earlier this year Cameron explained in an interview with Empire that Varang has been hardened by the hardships her people have faced and “will do anything for them, even things that we would consider to be evil.”
The latest “Fire and Ash” trailer shows Varang aligning herself with Quaritch (Stephen Lang), capturing Spider (Jack Champion) and leading an attack against other Na’vi clans, including the nomadic Wind Traders who travel aboard airborne vessels drawn by large jellyfish-like creatures.
While Varang and her clan are clearly positioned as among the enemies in “Fire and Ash,” it’s not as simple as them being “evil.” Chaplin told Empire in July that Ash Clan members “have a bunch of unresolved trauma” because of the disaster they faced.
“It’s easy to fall into the villain mentality, but actually she’s the hero of her people,” Chaplin said. “Because she’s saved them out of misery and starvation and begging.”
Among the characters set to return in the film are also Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), Tuktirey (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), Tonowari (Cliff Curtis) and Ronal (Kate Winslet).
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” will hit theaters Dec. 19.
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