New images from James Cameron’s sci-fi epic Avatar

Empire has released two new images from Avatar, including the shot above, of the film’s villain, Stephen Lang as battle-scarred Col. Miles Quaritch, piloting a human battleship known as the Dragon, as well as a second image of Sigourney Weaver as Dr. Grace Augustine, a scientist who works with Sam Worthington’s character Jake Sully on the alien planet Pandora.

Click on the image above for a larger view, and to see the second image.

Avatar will be released on December 18, 2009.