Olympic swimmers filmed in Sheffield to promote Avatar: The Way of Water at Cineworld

Cineworld has created a new short film starring Olympic swimmers, which will run in cinemas nationwide to promote Avatar: The Way of Water and the immersive ways to experience it . . . Whether that’s feeling submerged in IMAX, sprayed with mist in 4DX or surrounded by water that’s projected onto the sidewalls in mesmerizing ScreenX.

The film will run ahead of trailers and sees British Olympians Matt Richards MBE and Alice Dearing telling the story of their own ‘way of water’, as images of them in the pool are contrasted with those immersing themselves in the sights and sounds of Cineworld’s IMAX, 4DX and ScreenX experiences.

The film was shot in Cineworld Sheffield and at the Lenton Centre swimming pool in Nottingham, and shows how experiencing Avatar: The Way of Water in IMAX, 4DX and ScreenX is as powerful as being in the water itself (although you don’t need your swimming kit for a trip to Cineworld!).

Starring in the film

Taking a lead role in the film are Cineworld ambassadors:

Matt Richards, aged 19, from Worcester.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he was in the men’s 4 × 200m freestyle relay, together with James Guy, Duncan Scott and Tom Dean. He swam the third leg in 1 minute 45.01 seconds, a performance that helped the team to win gold with a time of six minutes 58.58 seconds. The gold medal was Britain’s first in 4 × 200m freestyle relay at the Olympics since 1908. Matt was appointed as an MBE in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to swimming.

Alice Dearing, aged 25, from Birmingham

Alice founded the Black Swimming Association; a non-profit organisation aimed at championing diversity in swimming across all levels of skill. She competed for Great Britain in the 10km marathon swim at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and is the first black female swimmer to represent GB at the Olympic Games.

Preview of Avatar: The Way of Water

The new James Cameron epic is set more than a decade after the events of the first film and Avatar: The Way of Water begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, lengths they go to keep each other safe, battles they fight to stay alive and tragedies they endure. The film stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and Kate Winslet.

Extreme sensory experience

If you’ve never tried IMAX, 4DX or ScreenX, then Avatar: The Way of Water is the perfect opportunity to experience a movie in a stunning new way:

4DX

Only at Cineworld in the UK and Ireland, 4DX adds extreme sensory thrills to your cinema experience. With stimulating effects such as water, wind, scent and strobe lighting that are timed to enhance what’s happening on screen, you’ll be truly thrilled in your seat.

And speaking of your seat – it moves! The high-tech motion programming means it moves in time with the film’s action, and along with vibrations and shaking, you’ll feel like you’re riding the underwater creatures, standing in the middle of a battle between Na’vi and the RDA and flying through the air.

It’s fun on your own but better with friends – 4DX is Cineworld’s most exhilarating way to watch a film.

ScreenX

Discover the wonder of innovative 270° projection – a world first and only available at Cineworld in the UK. The state-of-the-art technology uses up to 12 additional projectors to extend the film out to the side walls of the screening room, for a truly atmospheric experience that surrounds you in your seat.

With the film extended beyond your peripheral vision, every venture underwater, fight with the RDA and spectacular visual of Pandora will engulf, surprise and feel closer than ever.

IMAX

Watch films to the fullest with IMAX – the world’s most immersive cinema experience. Escape through immense, specially treated screens to other worlds, which are full of dramatic landscapes that shine in stunning clarity. The IMAX 3D Experience takes you beyond the edge of your seat and into a world that you’ve never imagined.

Whether it’s IMAX’s massive screens and incredible life-like visuals or the heart-pounding precision audio and unique auditorium design, everything in an IMAX cinema has been custom designed to put you inside the world of Pandora. IMAX 3D is the way director James Cameron intended the film to be seen.

Casey Cohen, head of marketing at Cineworld, said: “Avatar: The Way of Water is going to be the film event of the year, and immersing yourself in IMAX, 4DX and ScreenX is the best way to experience it.”

Buy tickets now

You can experience all of these formats at the brand new Cineworld Barnsley which boasts 4DX, ScreenX and a state of the art IMAX with Laser screen. At Cineworld Sheffield you can also experience Avatar in next level cinema formats IMAX 3D, 4DX, ScreenX and ViP.

Book your ticket now for Avatar: The Way of Water at www.cineworld.com

Follow @cineworld on social and use the hashtag #MyWayOfWater to share your experience.