In 2009, the release of James Cameron's epic-of-epics Avatar triggered a decade-long boom for 3D cinema — and his long-awaited sequel has hopes to do the same all over again.
"If you think about the way it worked back then, [3D] was a novelty," Cameron told Yahoo UK, explaining that the landscape has shifted since he debuted Avatar in stereoscopic form.
He added: "Now it has found its level as a consumer choice.
At the time we had 6,000 screens worldwide that were 3D screens, now we have 120,000.
"Most big blockbuster movies are made in 3D, so people have a choice — if they like it they can see it in 3D and if they don't like it they can see it in 2D.
I author it both ways." Avatar: The Way of Water is in cinemas and IMAX from 16 December.