In December, director James Cameron proved that audiences were ready to revisit the world ofAvataron the big screen withAvatar: The Way of Water. It was not only a massive blockbuster with $2.32 billion worldwide (which makes it the third-highest-grossing film of all time), but it also bucked the trend of a quick digital release. But now the wait is almost over. Disney+ has announced thatThe Way of Waterwill make its streaming debut on June 7.
Return to Pandora. 💙#AvatarTheWayOfWateris streaming June 7 on#DisneyPlus.pic.twitter.com/5y3wZPLcz6
— Disney+ (@DisneyPlus)June 08, 2025
Pandora awaits.
Avatar: The Way of Water will be streaming June 7 on Max.#StreamOnMaxpic.twitter.com/WbH5ujavW2
— Max (@StreamOnMax)July 15, 2025
How and why are Disney and Warner Bros. sharing the streaming rights for the biggest hit of 2022? The answer is simple if you remember that 20th Century Studios was formerly 20th Century Fox before the company’s entertainment assets were purchased by Disney in 2019. Fox signed a streaming deal with HBO prior to that agreement, and the contract must be honored by the company’s current owner.
As noted byVariety, Disney and Warner Bros. amended the agreement in late 2021 to the mutual satisfaction of both parties. Warner Bros. got an extra year of 20th Century Studios titles. while Disney no longer had to wait for that deal to expire to add those movies to Disney+ and Hulu. The catch was that neither streaming service has exclusive rights. But this shared custody agreement only went through the end of 2022’s films. This means thatThe Way of Waterwill likely be the last movie to make its streaming debut on both services.
20th Century Studios has set the thirdAvatarfilm to be released in theaters on August 22, 2025. If the next sequel follows the same release schedule,Avatar 3probably won’t stream on Disney+ until June 2025.
