Avatar premiere photos are an incredible throwback to 2009

It’s been 13 years since James Cameron’s original avatar and really, has anything changed in that time? [checks notes] OK, maybe one little things, but I should address the key turning points I’m thinking of here: Has anything changed about how celebrities roll into the premieres of blockbuster movies?

Here at Polygon, we love a reason to travel back in time through the power of press line photography, imagine ourselves walking the red carpets of our favorite movies, and realize that, wow, yes, the early 2000s were a different time. The cast of Lord of the Rings have really grown up since the premiere community of the ring. The premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean was… a moment. So on the occasion Avatar: The Way of Waterwe had to go back… we had to go back to Pandora.

But here’s the twist: The lineup at the 2009 avatar Premiere doesn’t look all that different from a 2022 gala. Thirteen years of monoculture has left us in pretty much the same spot, with a few nuanced differences. Some famous people have retired from the limelight. Others are here to stay. Styles have changed, but no one at the avatar Premiere went full Keira Knightley.

The big takeaway is this: Danny DeVito had a hell of a time at the avatar

Premiere.

Danny DeVito holds up a box of raisins and smiles

DeVito rocked the blue carpet in 2009 alongside his wife Rhea Perlman and daughter Lucy DeVito knowing they were about to see a game changer. One odd similarity between the premieres of many now-classic movies is that most people don’t seem to know what they’re getting themselves into. Big names don’t appear outside of the main cast, and the lower tier celebrities often look like they’re in the supermarket.

That was avatar! A technological marvel that has been in the making for more than a decade and would go on to become the highest grossing film of all time! Why doesn’t anyone care but Danny DeVito?!?!

These guys get it. They were there. Sigourney Weaver thriving in her return to big sci-fi movies. Cameron looks like he just completed 18 laps of honor. Sam Worthington, really happy to be there. Michelle Rodriguez… Hell yes. The only one to compete with Danny DeVito avatar Carpet. radiant. kill it All in neutral colors, she trashed the company in pink. Why wasn’t she there? Avatar: The Way of Water? I blame Vin Diesel. Bring Captain Trudy Chacón back to Pandora.

Zoe Saldaña also seems to have had a great time avatar Premiere probably because half the people who see t he film wouldn’t know it was her under all the CG Neytiri makeup. Something some motion capture on the red carpet.

Brendan Fraser was walking towards the end of his action film career when avatar premiered in 2009, but he was easily one of the most famous people to pay his respects to Cameron. His necklace is definitely something you would see on Pandora. Not quite DeVito enthusiasm here, but good spirit. Amazingly, he’s now in the Oscars talk for his work The whale as well as The way of the water comes to the cinemas. Fraser persevered.

Masi Oka, from when heroes was on and graced the blue carpet. This wasn’t even a Fox show. As far as we can tell, there was no professional obligation to be there. The man just wanted to see avatar! If he had brought his own snacks, he would be competing with DeVito.

And here is astronaut Buzz Aldrin with his then-wife Lois Driggs Cannon. I can only imagine what Buzz Aldrin was thinking avatar.

How hard did Danny DeVito fight for this? avatar? The archives are full of actor Just’s step-and-repeat moments Lifebut then he returns to the carpet to take photos with the cast it’s always sunny in Philadelphia. “The Gang Clocks avatar(probably because Fox invited everyone to a popular FX show, but hey, they took the time). Some fun little things: Always sunny

It’s been running so damn long that it was already in Season 5 at the time avatar was released in theaters and is still running today. Take that, James Cameron.

Maybe Jason Alexander loves movie premieres. Maybe he has a lot of free time thanks His field leftovers. But the man was Shrek premiere and the avatar Premiered almost a decade apart rocking the same casual wear and it catches my eye. And yet not as thrilled to be there as Danny DeVito?

The Power of Fox Synergy: Get three hot young stars to come to your big movie premiere to gently promote their new movie. Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson and Alexandra Daddario look like they couldn’t give a damn seeing Jake Sully at the Iknimaya Challenge in the Hallelujah Mountains later tonight, but if they sell Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thiefthey have to make faces!

Michael Mann and his wife Summer have come and they actually look very excited. No DeVito hype, absolutely, just glad to be out of the house to see one hell of a flick from a master.

Cuba Gooding Jr., another actor who was a regular on the premiere circuit from 2000 to 2010, walked the show avatar blue carpet with his sons. Fun Fact: Mason Gooding is now a full-time actor/Nepo baby who was very good at it Scream 2022!

Tom Arnold experiences real life in 3D while attending the avatar Premiere. A DeVito rival, but less grounded.

Nothing can beat Danny DeVito avatar Premiere. And the highs continued into the night…

How much did Danny DeVito love them avatar Premiere? Why, he returned for the premiere of just this month Avatar: The Way of Water. A righteous man who would protect the Tulkuns with all his might.