Fox to debut 3D 'Avatar' footage on IMAX screens

Twentieth Century
Fox's "Avatar."

“Avatar” will not hit theaters until Dec. 18 but moviegoers next week have an opportunity to see a 3D sneak peek on more than 100 IMAX screens.

Twentieth Century Fox will debut 16 minutes of footage from the James Cameron-directed sci-fi flick during two screenings (6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.) Friday, Aug. 21. Moviegoers hoping to gain entry must visit the film's official Web site www.avatarmovie.com at noon PST Monday, Aug. 17. Tickets will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

“Avatar” tells the story of a wounded ex-marine, thrust unwillingly into an effort to settle and exploit an exotic planet rich in bio-diversity, who eventually crosses over to lead the indigenous race in a battle for survival. The motion picture stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez and Giovanni Ribisi.

UPDATE No. 1 (10:25 a.m. Monday, Aug. 17): Bookmark the movie's ticketing page and RSVP page and be prepared to visit both at noon today for tickets to the screenings. It is currently unclear on which page the reservation form will appear.

UPDATE No. 2 (12:01 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17): The reservation form has gone live on the movie's RSVP page. Choose a screening, enter your name, e-mail, number of seats, ZIP code, gender and date of birth on the form to receive an e-mail with your ticket. Phoenix's screenings will be held 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21 at AMC Deer Valley 30, 3033 W. Agua Fria Freeway.

UPDATE No. 3 (7:45 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18): Both Phoenix screenings have reached the maximum number of registrations. However, tickets to screenings in other cities throughout the country are still available. If you reserved a ticket and plan to attend one of the screenings, post a comment below.

UPDATE No. 4 (2:29 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19): Check your inbox! Twentieth Century Fox has just sent out an e-mail that requires immediate attention. "We apologize for the inconvenience, but due to overwhelming demand to see the special scenes from James Cameron’s epic motion picture 'Avatar,'  our RSVP site experienced technical difficulties," the e-mail states. "As a result of the crash, you must re-select a screening time. Please note you may not get the original time you selected. Also new ticket confirmations that will be generated by your selection here will be the only accepted form of admittance."