Yesterday, James Cameron participated in one of Reddit’s “Ask-Me-Anything” sessions, which provide a great way for fans to ask their favorite actors, directors and celebrities any questions they want. They’re usually quite humorous, and provide great insight into the lives of those tasked with giving the answers. While Cameron admitted to singing in the shower and doing yoga during his AMA, it was the movie-specific answers that are worth looking into.
The biggest thing on Cameron’s plate right now are the three Avatar sequels that he’s planning on shooting simultaneously. After the first film became the highest-grossing movie of all time, it came as no surprise when sequels were announced.
Cameron’s dedication to the property is impressive (and maybe a little bit crazy). It’s no small feat to make all three movies at once, especially considering they are original ideas and not adaptations of pre-existing material (like, say, the Lord of the Rings films). The director seems excited though, and talked a bit about where they currently are in terms of getting the films made:
“The second, third and fourth films all go into production simultaneously. They’re essentially all in preproduction now, because we are designing creatures, settings, and characters that span all three films. And we should be finished with all three scripts within the next, I would say, six weeks.”
With release dates already set for each film in 2016, 2017, and 2018, it’s good to hear that things are finally moving forward. For those afraid that Cameron is only making the sequels because of their projected box-office success, think again. Apparently he wanted to make Battle Angel next, but was moved by the positive response the first film received and felt there was more to explore.
“My intention when I made Avatar was to do Battle Angel next. However, the positive feedback for Avatar and the support of the message of Avatar, encouraged me to do more of those films.
For me, the success was a factor because I was encouraged by the fact that an environmental film, or a film about nature, could be successful. It’s certainly not just about money. I’m considering success to mean the measure of the ability of the film to communicate. Every director wants their film to communicate. The biggest factor, however, is the drive to continue developing the world– more characters, more creatures with unfettered creativity…
There’s always pressure, whether it’s a new film or whether it’s a sequel, to entertain and amaze an audience. I’ve felt that pressure my entire career, so there’s nothing new there. The biggest pressure I feel right now is cutting out things I love to get the film down to a length that is affordable. There hasn’t been a problem finding new and wonderful things to include in the movie”
He also, unfortunately, confirmed that Arnold Schwarzenegger won’t be appearing at all in the upcoming sequels, saying that he doesn’t “see a role as the scripts are coming together that would be appropriate for him.” That’s a shame, because many of us have been waiting to see the two collaborate again and seeing Schwarzenegger go up against the Na’vi would be pretty awesome.
The Avatar updates were only part of the extended AMA conversation, as Cameron also gave his thoughts on Prometheus, Terminator: Genesis (which he says should be “quite good”), 48 FPS, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and that ever-debated floating door debacle from Titanic. If you’re at all interested in what he had to say, I highly recommend checking the full AMA out.
Tell us, what do you think of what Cameron had to say about the Avatar sequels? Do they help raise your excitement for the films, or would you rather he work on something like Battle Angel instead? Let us know in the comments below!
Published: Apr 13, 2014 02:43 pm