More than Jake Sully, his kids, or any other character, Pandora is the star of the “Avatar” franchise. It is the moon orbiting the fictional gas giant Polyphemus in the Alpha Centauri star system that evolves, changes, and grows the most during every film. As we explore new places, we see different relationships between the various Na’vi tribes and their moon, as well as how humans are destroying it for their own capitalist gains.
With how pivotal Pandora is to the movies, it is kind of surprising that James Cameron actually debated whether to set “The Way of Water” anywhere else, but according to the book “The Art of Avatar: The Way of Water” by Tara Bennett, that’s exactly what he did.
According to producer Jon Landau, Cameron and the team wrestled with where to take the story early in the process, and whether to stay on Pandora or go somewhere else.
“We have always viewed Avatar as a metaphor for the world in which we live. We realized that we could traverse our world and not see all the wonders this planet holds. This idea helped lead lim to the conclusion to not venture to other alien planets in the sequels, but to instead explore the diversity of locations and cultures that Pandora could still offer. Front and center of those biomes were the oceans, which reflect a passion for preservation and conservation that Jim and I share.”