Avatar

Avatar is a 2009 American science fiction film written, directed and produced by. In the film's mid-22nd century setting, Earth's natural resources have been depleted and the planet is undergoing a severe energy crisis. However, humans are colonizing the planet Pandora, home of a ten-foot tall blue-skinned humanoid species called the Na'vi, and have discovered a mineral called unobtanium, whose superconductive properties can aid in resolving Earth's energy crisis. To that end, an agency called the Resources Development Administration (RDA) is carrying out a mining operation to extract unobtanium from Pandora and ship it back to Earth. In addition to the mining, Earth is also pursuing a scientific operation to explore Pandora. Because the planet's atmosphere is poisonous to human beings, the scientists interact with the environment and with the Na'vi by means of synthetic Na'vi-human hybrid bodies, the "avatars" of the title.

The main character of the film is Jake Sully, an avatar operator who is working as a security guard in support of the scientific operation. In the course of his interactions with the Na'vi, he meets and falls in love with Neytiri, the daughter of her clan's spiritual leader. Jake later learns that the mining operations are a threat to the Na'vi, and finds his loyalties divided when he learns that the RDA are planning an attack on the Na'vi. When conflict breaks out, Jake switches allegiance and fights on the side of the Na'vi. Following the Na'vi victory, Jake's consciousness is permanently transferred into his avatar body and he begins a new life as a Na'vi.

Avatar was well-received by critics and audiences alike and became one of the highest-grossing films of all time, second only to Gone with the Wind (with box office receipts adjusted for inflation). The film was praised for its ground-breaking visual effects and won an Academy Award award in that category, as well as two others. Four sequels are planned and are anticipated to be released in the early-to-mid 2020s.