The first sequel to blockbuster movie "Avatar" will focus on a theme of protecting family and will expand the world of Pandora that enchanted audiences more than a decade ago, the movie's stars told Reuters.

James Cameron's "Avatar: The Way of Water" is scheduled to reach theaters in December. Ahead of that, Walt Disney Co is releasing a remastered version of the original 2009 film in cinemas starting on Friday.

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The first "Avatar" movie focused on a battle for natural resources between human colonists and the blue Na'vi people on a moon called Pandora.

Actor Sam Worthington said "The Way of Water" shows his character, Jake Sully, and Zoe Saldana's Neytiri as parents working to shield their family from harm.

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"This love story has evolved," Worthington said. "We now have a family and to be honest, to me, the movie is about protecting your family."

"Whether that's an immediate family, it works on many levels. It could be a communal family, the family that we choose," he added.

"Avatar: The Way of Water" will hit the theaters in December 2022. Pictured: People watching a reissued "Avatar" in Tianjin, China, on March 14, 2021.  (Tong Yu/China News Service via Getty Images)

The original "Avatar" ranks as the top-grossing film of all time with more than $2.8 billion in global ticket sales. Four "Avatar" movies are planned through 2028.

Asked if she knew why it took Cameron so long to deliver a sequel, Saldana said "it's his process."

"He's an artisan. He takes his time. He does his research," she said.

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Worthington said Cameron wrote an "Avatar 1.5" script to help him work through what he wanted to say in the second movie.

"He's a man that cares about the story he's telling and has dedicated a great portion of his life to telling, sharing this with the world," Worthington said.

He added that "The Way of Water" will feel familiar to fans but "it's not a rehash of the same story."