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Comment by John on June 6, 2010 at 10:35pm

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Comment by betsy marie house on April 24, 2010 at 3:44pm

Cameron: “Avatar 2” Will Take Place In Pandora's Ocean
Thankfully for James Cameron, “Avatar” didn’t have to end with most of the characters dying in a boat crash. That leaves him free to do a second movie in the world of Pandora and begin printing his own hard currency. And, in this interview with the LA Times, Cameron explains just what that sequel will entail. It’ll be just like the first movie, only set in the fictional planet’s ocean. That exploding sound you just heard was Cameron’s effects people all having simultaneous aneurysms.


I’ve already announced this, so I might as well say it: Part of my focus in the second film is in creating a different environment – a different setting within Pandora. And I’m going to be focusing on the ocean on Pandora, which will be equally rich and diverse and crazy and imaginative, but it just won’t be a rain forest. I’m not saying we won’t see what we’ve already seen; we’ll see more of that as well.FACEBOOK
Thankfully for James Cameron, “Avatar” didn’t have to end with most of the characters dying in a boat crash. That leaves him free to do a second movie in the world of Pandora and begin printing his own hard currency. And, in this interview with the LA Times, Cameron explains just what that sequel will entail. It’ll be just like the first movie, only set in the fictional planet’s ocean. That exploding sound you just heard was Cameron’s effects people all having simultaneous aneurysms.


I’ve already announced this, so I might as well say it: Part of my focus in the second film is in creating a different environment – a different setting within Pandora. And I’m going to be focusing on the ocean on Pandora, which will be equally rich and diverse and crazy and imaginative, but it just won’t be a rain forest. I’m not saying we won’t see what we’ve already seen; we’ll see more of that as well.


Ask most movie people about setting a movie in water or on it, and all of them will begin spontaneously cursing and breaking dishes. “Avatar 2” won’t require any actual filming on water, of course. That’ll all be created in post. But creating the effect of water is also a brutal business. The lighting is more nuanced and the BUBBLES! My God, there are bubbles everywhere.

When Cameron first brought the idea of “Avatar” to his effects people, they said to him (according to Cameron): “We can’t do this. We’ll die.” Well, Cameron is nothing if not pushy, and so now he’s built an even higher mountain to climb: taking the biggest film of all time, setting it in water, and doing it in half the time for half the price.

You don’t get to be King of the World by being reasonable. Expect to get your money’s worth on this one

Comment by betsy marie house on February 17, 2010 at 6:52pm

Cameron Penning "Avatar" Prequel
Cameron Penning "Avatar" Prequel
posted by Mike Ryan - Wed Feb 17 2010, 2:48 AM PST
378 comments At a Tuesday night reception in New York City, director James Cameron confirmed the buzz that he's writing a novel based on the story of his box-office-record-setting film, "Avatar." And he believes the book may, in some respects, be even more successful than his movies have been. Why?

"There are things you can do in books that you can’t do with films," Cameron explained.

The director said he first thought of penning the "Avatar" novel during filming of the breakthrough film: "I told myself, if it made money, I’d write a book." "Avatar," of course, did make money. A lot of it. At last count it had made more than $2.3 billion worldwide.

Cameron said the book will go into much greater detail about the worlds and "interior monologues" of the characters he created.

Before Cameron clarified his plans the Internet had been ablaze with rumors of an "Avatar" book based on comments made by "Avatar" producer Jon Landau. The producer also hinted that the story of Pandora and its blue-skinned people will also have a sequel – or sequels, plural.

"Jim's going to write a novel himself, based on Avatar," Landau revealed to MTV, saying that Cameron's vision of the book "is a big, epic, story that fills in a lot of things that we won't have time to do in the movie; maybe even in sequels."

Landau continued: "I think it would be something that leads up to telling the story of the movie, but would go into much greater depth of all the stories that we didn't have time to deal with."

Cameron himself, in a January interview with MTV, discussed the possibility of a sequel. "I have a trilogy-scaled arc of story right now, but I haven't really put any serious work into writing a script."

For the miniscule number of you who haven't yet seen "Avatar," the film takes place on the aforementioned Pandora, which is a moon that orbits a gas planet, Polyphemus. Until the news of a prequel, speculation has focused on sequels that could take place on the other moons that orbit the gas giant.

Comment by betsy marie house on February 17, 2010 at 6:41pm

James Cameron's Planned Avatar Novel: A Movieline FAQ
Movieline FAQ

James Cameron's Planned Avatar Novel: A Movieline FAQ
Written by S.T. VanAirsdale | 17 Feb 2010, 11:40 AM | 1 comment

With its box-office-supremacy streak snapped and Inglorious Basterds making a significant push in the Best Picture race, Avatar had spent an alarming few days off the center of the cultural radar. No longer! James Cameron has confirmed his plans to not only novelize his blockbuster, but to write the damn thing himself. Why? “There are things you can do in books that you can’t do with films,” he told the WSJ, adding, “I told myself, if it made money, I’d write a book.” Good for him — but what does it all mean? That’s just the first of several burning questions you’ll ask — and we’ll attempt to answer — in the latest Movieline FAQ.

What would it be about?
When pressed for details about the book, Cameron wasn’t nearly as forthcoming as his producer Jon Landau was last week. For starters, it’s not expected to be a straight novelization, but rather a prequel covering things he and Cameron “won’t have time to do […] in the movie, or maybe in sequels”:
Movieline FAQ

James Cameron's Planned Avatar Novel: A Movieline FAQ
Written by S.T. VanAirsdale | 17 Feb 2010, 11:40 AM | 1 comment

With its box-office-supremacy streak snapped and Inglorious Basterds making a significant push in the Best Picture race, Avatar had spent an alarming few days off the center of the cultural radar. No longer! James Cameron has confirmed his plans to not only novelize his blockbuster, but to write the damn thing himself. Why? “There are things you can do in books that you can’t do with films,” he told the WSJ, adding, “I told myself, if it made money, I’d write a book.” Good for him — but what does it all mean? That’s just the first of several burning questions you’ll ask — and we’ll attempt to answer — in the latest Movieline FAQ.

What would it be about?
When pressed for details about the book, Cameron wasn’t nearly as forthcoming as his producer Jon Landau was last week. For starters, it’s not expected to be a straight novelization, but rather a prequel covering things he and Cameron “won’t have time to do […] in the movie, or maybe in sequels”:


But hasn’t Avatar already stolen the back stories of half the science-fiction literature ever published?
Ah-ah — I think you mean “allegedly stolen.” Anyway, it’s a good point. Ever since anyone knew what it actually was, Avatar rip-off accusations comparisons have been a dime a dozen on the Internet. The book may very well be Cameron’s way of distancing himself and his billion-dollar property from their spiritual antecedents, showing that no, the alien race of Pandora has nothing to do with the Nave civilization of Soviet-era sci-fi, or mid-century American short stories, or whatever.

Surely it won’t override Avatar’s eerie parallels to Delgo?
Don’t be daft. Of course it won’t.

"If Cameron’s not going to take a break from Avatar entirely, then why wouldn’t he just get on with writing the follow-up’s script?"
How does this affect the Avatar screen franchise?
Is that you, Rupert Murdoch? I hate to answer a question (especially one of yours) with another question, but seriously: If Cameron’s not going to take a break from Avatar entirely, then why wouldn’t he just get on with writing the follow-up’s script? On the one hand, he might be doing just that; Landau does mention above that Cameron’s screenplays generally start in “novella” form. On the other, I doubt he’d spoil a prequel/sequel/whatever to history’s most successful film by first squandering the story in print. Obviously, he’s the King of the
World, Avatar is his baby, and he can and will do whatever he wants. But it’d be great if that admission, “I told myself, if it made money, I’d write a book,” applied instead to a big, ballsy, tell-all memoir. Or maybe a prequel to that Martini Ranch video that describes in detail what the hell he was thinking.
What is Cameron’s previous experience as a writer of prose?
None, apparently, besides those long-form script treatments. But if the Avatar screenplay’s expurgated sex scene is any indication (“The tendrils INTERTWINE with gentle undulations. JAKE rocks with the direct contact between his nervous system and hers. The ultimate intimacy”), then the English language is in pretty fantastic hands.

"If you thought Papyrus looked sleek and elegant as subtitles, wait until you read 50,000 words composed of the stuff."
What does Cameron mean when he says, “There are things you can do in books that you can’t do with films”?
Well, for starters, he can really go to town with the Papyrus typeface. If you thought Papyrus looked sleek and elegant as subtitles, wait until you read 50,000 words composed of the stuff. Also, you can misuse six-legged horses in ways that just don’t work when the American Humane Society is stalking the set. Whatever he plans, expect to be dazzled: Considering how Cameron just spent 12 years and $300 million proving there’s nothing you “can’t do with films,” you can bet a book promising the same will blow your effing mind.

Is there a planned release date?
Landau vaguely pegged the end of this year, just in time for the holidays.
What’s the working title?
I Gotta Pee Something Fierce. Naturally.

· James Cameron Confirms He’s Writing Avatar Novel

Comment by betsy marie house on January 27, 2010 at 9:22am

'Avatar' Officially Overtakes 'Titanic' For Global Box Office Record With $1.85 BillionIt's official - "Avatar" is the new king of the world... or at least, the worldwide box office.

On Monday, the James Cameron-directed film passed Cameron's own "Titanic" as the highest grossing film of all-time, taking in $1.859 billion globally - after only 37 days in theaters.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Box Office Record Breaker! Stars & Scenes From 'Avatar'

"Titanic," released in 1997, held the previous record with $1.843 billion.

"We are deeply gratified that so many millions of people around the globe have embraced 'Avatar,'" Twentieth Century Fox - the studio behind the project -- said in a statement on Tuesday. "Its success results from the efforts of literally thousands of people, who, over the course of several years, worked to bring James Cameron's vision of Pandora to life. The themes of protecting the environment, respecting life, and yearning for a peaceful planet have united moviegoers worldwide. We're very proud of, and grateful to, James Cameron, his amazing and dedicated team, and all the many people at Fox, who worked so long and so hard to achieve this milestone."

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Australian Bad Boy Sam Worthington

"Avatar," which won the Golden Globe for Best Picture, Drama earlier this month, has been number one at the box office for six straight weeks since its release on December 18, 2009.

It also received a Best Picture nomination at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and is expected to do the same when Oscar nominations are annouced on February 2.

Fans of the film have flocked to theaters since "Avatar's" release, especially the 3-D showings, which have brought in $1.35 billion of the film's total gross.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: MovieMantz: Best Movies of the Decade

"I never thought I would live to see the day when 'Titanic's' record would fall, but not even 12 years later, here we are talking about it - and thanks to James Cameron, again," Access Hollywood's Scott "Movie" Mantz said.

However, Mantz did offer one caveat for "Avatar's" stunning success.

"To be fair, you've got to look at the ticket prices - these prices are so much more than they were for 'Titanic,' especially for the 3-D movies - and especially for a 3d movie in IMAX," he added. "And it's not like 'Up In The Air' or 'Spider-Man 3' made this much with a regular ticket pirce, so when all the dust settles, it's only fair to have that in the back of your mind."

And as for where "Avatar" will end up when its box office run comes to an end?

"It's going to gross at least $2.2 billion by the time it's over," Mantz predicted.

Copyright 2010 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:


PLAY IT NOW: 'Avatar,' LA Premiere: James Cameron - I Knew Sam Worthington 'Was The Right Guy' To Cast
PLAY IT NOW: 2010 Producers Guild Awards: James Cameron Talks 'Avatar' Success

More from Access: [ Avatar Box Office Geek Chic ]

Comment by betsy marie house on January 25, 2010 at 6:54pm

EXCLUSIVE: James Cameron’s Plans For the ‘Avatar’ SequelGet excited!

Avatar: 2 is definitely going to happen…and you can definitely expect a whole new slew of alien creatures to join the Na’vi
James Cameron may not know exactly when it’s going to happen, but he swears up and down that a sequel to his Golden Globe-winning science fiction flick, Avatar, is going to happen in the near future. Don’t sit around waiting with bated breath though — it took the 55-year-old director 14 years alone to make the first one a reality!

“We always planned there would be [a sequel] in a very broad sense,” James told HollywoodLife.com exclusively at the Producer’s Guild Awards in Los Angeles Jan. 24. “In fact,” he added, “we joked about it when we were making the movie. Every time we had a design or some creature we couldn’t figure out where to put, we’d say, ‘We’ll put it in the sequel.’ Or when the actors would say an idea we’d tell them to hang on to the idea to use in the sequel.”

Fun! New creatures? As long as they don’t go by the name Jar-Jar Binks, we’re totally on board.

Comment by betsy marie house on January 24, 2010 at 1:47pm

"Avatar" dominates the box office again with a $36 million weekend.

No. 1 for the sixth-straight weekend, Cameron's sci-fi spectacle lifted its domestic total to $552.8 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. Worldwide, 20th Century Fox's "Avatar" raised its total to $1.840 billion, just $2 million shy of first place behind Cameron's last movie, the 1997 shipwreck blockbuster "Titanic," at $1.843 billion.

Screen Gems' apocalyptic thriller "Legion," starring Paul Bettany as a fallen angel, took flight in the No. 2 spot with $18.2 million. Warner Bros. held the No. 3 position with "The Book of Eli" at $17 million in its second week. Fox's family fantasy comedy "Tooth Fairy" debuted at No. 4 with $14.5 million.