In the year 2154, paraplegic marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) replaces his deceased brother on a mission on the distant world of Pandora. There he learns that greedy corporate figurehead Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) intends to drive off the native Na'vi in order to mine for precious minerals. In exchange for the spinal surgery that will fix his legs, Jake gathers intelligence for the cooperating military unit led by Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), while attempting to infiltrate the Na'vi people with the use of an "avatar" identity. As Jake bonds with the native tribe, in particular, the beautiful Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), the colonel moves forward with his ruthless extermination tactics, forcing the soldier to take a stand and fight back in an epic battle for the fate of Pandora. Avatar was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won three, for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects.