The Weeknd Teases A Mysterious Avatar Collaboration
What do James Cameron and The Weeknd have in store for "Avatar" fans?
"Avatar: The Way of Water" is set to swim into theaters later this month. The sequel to Cameron's 2009 box office phenomenon has been over a decade in the making, with many questioning the sci-fi spectacle's cultural relevancy in the time since. While some say the "Avatar" sequel will be a flop, others have high hopes that "The Way of Water" will be a juggernaut. Whichever camp viewers fall into, no one can deny the impressive lengths Cameron has gone to bring the sequel to life.
The maverick director, who has high hopes that you'll watch his flick at least twice, began preliminary shooting in 2017 (via The Independent). Insistent on filming performance capture underwater, Cameron and his team developed several new forms of technologies to make the dream come true, resulting in a sequel that truly pushes the boundaries set up by the first (via IndieWire).
While details are ultimately slim on what Cameron has in store for Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) in their second outing, it's clear from the marketing that a solid portion of the "Avatar" sequel is set underwater. But if never-before-seen technological and visual effects advancements aren't enough to get viewers into seats, maybe a single from the Grammy-winning, definitively culturally relevant The Weeknd might?
Is The Weeknd on the Avatar: The Way of Water soundtrack?
Taking to Twitter, The Weeknd posted a mysterious video which features the "Avatar" logo. The clip sees the logo shining behind water and begins with swelling vocals backed up by an orchestral, drum-heavy tune. As the snippet ends, the date "12.16.22." appears, the release date for "The Way of Water." Shortly after the "Blinding Lights" artist posted his tease, the official Avatar Twitter account shared a brief video of them following The Weeknd. Shortly after, "Avatar: The Way of Water" producer Jon Landau shared a photo of him and the singer, with a heartfelt caption that reads: "As the Na'vi say, 'Zola'u nìprrte' soaiane Avatar'... Welcome to the 'Avatar' family."
Well, it looks like The Weeknd, one of the most popular musicians in the world (via Billboard), is probably releasing a single for "Avatar: The Way of Water." As great as it would be, it's highly doubtful that Cameron and Landau have tapped The Weeknd for a brief cameo as a Na'vi. Beyond that, the "Avatar" director has a history of bringing pop icons on board for his flicks. Celine Dion famously walked away with an Oscar in 1998 for singing "My Heart Will Go On" for Cameron's "Titanic" and Leona Lewis previously sang "I See You," the theme for "Avatar."
This wouldn't be the first time The Weeknd has collaborated with a major franchise. The Canadian artist nabbed an Oscar nod for singing the "Fifty Shades of Grey" track "Earned It." He later joined Kendrick Lamar on "Pray For Me," one of the most popular songs from the "Black Panther" soundtrack. To celebrate the release of Season 8 of "Game of Thrones," HBO brought The Weeknd, SZA, and Travis Scott together for "Power is Power."