According to an article in The Hollywood Reporter, tickets for the 16-minute trailer for James Cameron's Avatar will be available online starting Monday, August 17, 2009. Last month, it was announced that select theaters will be offering a free showing of the trailer on August 21st, but the announcement was low on details.

Fans will be able to get the tickets on the movie's official web site at www.avatarmovie.com and find out additional information about the movie. There is a limit of two tickets per person.

The extended "Avatar" trailer will play just before and after separately ticketed performances for Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." At most of the specialty venues, the trailer will be shown between 6-7 p.m., running twice within the hour span.

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The extended trailer will contain much of the "Avatar" footage shown at screenings this summer at exhibitor events in Hollywood and Amsterdam, and also at Comic-Con. But at least one unspecified new scene will be included.

Part of the footage shows Sam Worthington's Avatar character adapting to a strange new environment in the fantastical world of Pandora, and a battle scene figures in a closing montage. There also is an extended clip involving a forest attack by wolf-like creatures.

Click the Read link below to read the full article on The Hollywood Reporter's web site.

If you don't make it for the showing on the 21st, other trailers will be playing ahead of Post Grad, Inglourious Basterds, and other summer and fall releases, according to the article. I wouldn't be surprised if the 16-minute segment will appear online after the 21st to maintain the hype for the movie until its release December 18th, 2009 in conventional theaters and IMAX theaters.

Some might say that the studio is sticking its neck out trying to build publicity this far in advance, and it could backfire if the movie doesn't live up to the expections they are helping to set. I remember the hype surrounding the release of the trailer for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. The audience that bought tickets for Adam Sandler's waste of almost two hours "comedy" The Waterboy cheered with anticipation when the Lucasfilm logo and theme music appeared on the screen, only to have many of that same general group of fans groan in disappointment after the movie's release.

Are you planning to get tickets for the trailer, or do you think that this is just a publicity stunt that isn't worth the time and energy? Add your comments below!

Thanks to reader Ron H. for sending us this article!