In a greedy move, Disney has decided to deprive its 152 million Disney+ subscribers the option to rewatch Avatar in preparation for the sequel. Avatar will return to theaters in 4K HDR and 3D.

Much to the disappointment of fans, Disney+ last week removed Avatar from its library in the US and internationally. The reason? We are now getting a clearer picture both literally and figuratively.

Avatar will return to select theaters on September 23 in the US, September 22 in Europe, and around the same time elsewhere. For the event, the movie has been remastered in 4K HDR. It will also be shown in 3D, IMAX and 4DX.

- "James Cameron’s Academy Award®-winning 2009 epic adventure Avatar, the most successful film of all time, will return to theaters Friday, September 23, in stunning 4K High Dynamic Range. The film will play in theaters for a two-week limited engagement," announced Disney.


HDR in theaters?
Only a handful of theaters worldwide have LED screens capable of HDR (High Dynamic Range) and this is unlikely to change in the near future as chains such as AMC, Cineworld and Cinemark are struggling to stay afloat due to large debt positions.

Avatar will also play in Dolby Cinema, which comes closer, although many in the industry refer to its twin laser projection system's capabilities as EDR (Enhanced Dynamic Range) – something between SDR and HDR.

We expect Avatar to return to Disney+ in the enhanced 4K HDR version later, but it is nevertheless a greedy move to deprive subscribers the option to rewatch a movie ahead of a sequel – and hopefully not a new trend. It is still available to buy or rent on VOD services such as the Apple TV app and Vudu.

The next chapter, Avatar 2: The Way of Water, will premiere in theaters on December 16, 2022.