Trailer for James Cameron's Avatar debuts online

The long-awaited trailer for James Cameron's 3D film Avatar has been released online. Available on the Apple website and on YouTube, the trailer gives viewers an in-depth look into the visual magic behind Cameron's first film since 1997. For those who couldn't wait for Friday, when the trailer reaches cinemas, today is a fortunate day. The trailer for Avatar is making its rounds on the Web, first appearing on the Apple website and then debuting on YouTube. Avatar is Oscar champ James Cameron's first film since 1997's Titanic. It will be released in December 2009. Set in the future, the sci-fi film follows a former Marine (Sam Worthington) who is paralyzed from the waist down. He is given a chance to restore his body by visiting the mysterious alien moon Pandora, where its natives seek to defend their land from the human explorers. The film will reportedly be composed of 60 per cent computer-generated elements and 40 per cent live action. In the trailer, viewers can glimpse the CGI employed to recreate Pandora and the native creatures. In some segments, Worthington is also portrayed a special effects character. According to the L.A. Times, last month Cameron showed 24 minutes of Avatar at Comic-Con. On Friday, "more than 100 Imax theaters worldwide will screen a 16-minute featurette, including an intro by Cameron and several scenes not included in the Comic-Con preview."