In the 2009 film Avatar, humans explore the fictional moon Pandora. The film, directed by James Cameron, is set primarily on Pandora, which orbits the gas giant Polyphemus in the Alpha Centauri star system.
Pandora is home to the Na’vi, a tall blue humanoid species whose culture and environment are central to the story. Human corporations travel there to extract unobtanium, a valuable mineral, while scientists study the moon’s biology and ecosystems. The plot follows former Marine Jake Sully as he becomes involved with the Na’vi.
The film’s Pandora is not the mythological container or the Saturnian moon. Cameron chose the name because it evokes a mysterious, richly imagined world that humans open and exploit. The movie’s use of the name helped make “Pandora” familiar to audiences beyond classical mythology.