'Avatar: The Way of Water' Teaser Trailer Attracts Massive 148.6 Million Views in Single Day: Report

James Cameron's long-awaited Avatar sequel debuted its first teaser trailer online Monday ahead of its Dec. 16 theatrical release

Fans are eager to return to the world of Avatar.

The first teaser trailer for the long-awaited sequel Avatar: The Way of Water debuted online Monday after premiering at CinemaCon last month and playing exclusively in theaters with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney and 20th Century Studios reported that the teaser racked up 148.6 million views worldwide in its first 24 hours of release across various channels. The outlet pointed out that Avatar: The Way of Water performance beats out recent Star Wars movie teasers, but it didn't quite reach the 202.7 million views F9: The Fast Saga got on its first day online.

The first Avatar hit theaters in December 2009 and will be re-released in theaters this September.

Courtesy of 20th Century Studios

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Along with stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore and CCH Pounder also return for this new installment. Cameron's Titanic cohort Kate Winslet joins the cast along with Michelle Yeoh, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco and Jemaine Clement.

The long-delayed Avatar sequel is currently slated for a Dec. 16 release date. The third film is expected to debut in 2024, a fourth in 2026 and a fifth in 2028.

Courtesy of 20th Century Studios

The 2009 original broke box office records upon its release and also earned nine Oscar nominations — including for Best Picture — with three total wins. Cameron told Entertainment Weekly in December that he worries whether the subsequent installments can match Avatar's success.

"The big issue is: Are we going to make any damn money? Big, expensive films have got to make a lot of money," said Cameron at the time. "We're in a new world post-COVID, post-streaming. Maybe those [box office] numbers will never be seen again. Who knows? It's all a big roll of the dice."