SEE: New Crabsuit Vehicle from James Cameron's AVATAR Sequels!

James Cameron's AVATAR sequels are well underway again thanks to New Zealand's control of the coronavirus outbreak. Further evidence of the production moving along is the recent release of these concept art images from producer Jon Landau revealing the new Crabsuit vehicles for underwater duties.

The Crabsuits are "human driven multifunction submersibles" and are one of the assortment of new vehicles from RDA (Resources Development Administration). RDA is the "largest single non-governmental organization in human space. Its power is such that it outmatches most of Earth governments in wealth, political influence, and military capability."

If there was any doubt that the AVATAR sequels will have a large underwater component, consider it now quashed.

Note the large lettering on the arm of the Crabsuit, "CET-OPS", likely Cetaceous Operations, though cetaceous refers to Earthbound mammals of the order Cetacea (ex. whales).

Of course, you can expect a multitude of these Crabsuits being deployed undersea on Pandora (and/or other worlds), most likely from the "Sea Dragon" (also pictured), a "massive mothership that carries an array of other sea-going craft in the sequels."

In what state theatrical release be living in on December 16, 2022, no one knows. Hopefully, we will be well on our way to full recovery, post Covid-19. We can all use something to look forward to and the AVATAR sequels definitely fill the bill!

Here are the upcoming release dates as they are currently slated:

AVATAR 2 (Dec. 16, 2022)

AVATAR 3 (Dec. 20, 2024)

AVATAR 4 (Dec. 18, 2026)

AVATAR 5 (Dec. 22, 2028)

Sources: Jon Landau | Avatar Wiki

AVATAR 2 Pushed to December 2021

Disappointed to hear this one guys. But surprised? No. AVATAR 2, once slated for December next year has been pushed back another year to December 17th, 2021.

Disney has also announced that AVATAR 3 is now pegged at December 22nd, 2023 and AVATAR 4 is December 29th, 2025. If there is an AVATAR 5 it won't see projector light until 2027.

I haven't heard the reasoning behind the decision to delay but I would add it up to be post-production needs and internal influences within Disney.

More when I get it.

Award Winning Weta Digital Ramps Up For AVATAR Sequels

6 Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects. 10 Academy Science and Technology Awards. 6 BAFTA Awards for Best Special Visual Effects. 6 VES Awards for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature.

Yep. Weta Digital knows what they are doing. Peter Jackson's sandbox builds amazing things and now they are ramping up for James Cameron's AVATAR sequels. With over ~$1 billion in production budget for AVATAR and the immense success that Cameron's films enjoy, obviously, his 4 sequels will command the best in the world at what they do. Enter Weta Digital.

Says Cameron: "What Joe Letteri and Weta Digital bring to these stories is impossible to quantify. Since we made Avatar, Weta continued to prove themselves as doing the best CG animation, the most human, the most alive, the most photo-realistic effects in the world. And of course, that now means I can push them to take it even further."

Can you imagine what surprises Cameron and Weta Digital have in store for us in these movies? A lot of time has passed. A LOT. Technology has improved by leaps and bounds. I can't wait to see what these guys have built and are building.

Source: Deadline

Four AVATAR Sequels Confirmed By James Cameron - Releases Start in 2018

Ok I feel much more confident about these estimates. I was never good with the seemingly rushed schedules that were announced with finished scripts in hand, but now things are progressing as I had originally envisaged.

James Cameron has announced at Cinemacon that the AVATAR universe will have four sequels, not 3 and that the releases are slated for 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2023. 

Says Cameron: "We have decided to embark on a truly massive cinematic project, making four epic films, each of which stands alone but together forms a complete saga."

Further Cameron states: "I’ve been working with the top four screenwriters and designers in the world to design the world of Avatar going forward. The environments, new cultures - whatever it takes to bring it to life. From what I’m seeing of the art on the wall, in pure imagination, is just beyond the first film. I’m speechless."

Man I miss Cinemacon! I've got to get back next year. To personally miss announcements like this hurt me on a physical level!

Happy to hear there are 4 sequels now. It explains a lot about why things got delayed and the mindset of the creatives and the studio. Can't wait to start hearing more about the projects. Remember, Cameron already had a massive budget in place for 3 sequels already - add on a fourth and wow! That's a sizable commitment from 20th Century Fox.And commitment from Cameron - he will be one busy man for the next 7-8 years.

AVATAR Update: Sequels Pushed Back 1 Year - Cameron Buys Giant Studios - Further Insight From Source!!

Cameron in Wellington, NZ - Jan 12, 2014. Peter Jackson in background.

Well I had heard rumors that this was happening, but nothing was solid enough to publish so I let it slide. Now it is official and James Cameron has pushed back the AVATAR sequels 1 year. AVATAR 2 is now slated to screen around Christmas 2017.

So what does this mean? It means the movies are technically complex. It means the stories may not be as complete as previously thought.

So let's talk about it being technically complex. How about complex enough for Cameron to go out and buy Atlanta based Giant Studios? Yes you heard right - Lightstorm Entertainment is going to close down that facility and take their intellectual property in house, including Giant's talented creative team. This is a big deal folks. Giant was a world leader in motion capture technology and this gives Cameron a tremendous sandbox with which to play in - with more autonomy.

Now here's where I have gotten some information from a top source that plugs into this. As you know by now, extensive amounts of AVATAR 2 will be underwater (as of now of course - another year can bring about changes). My source says Cameron will be shooting scenes based on a triage of complexity: The harder scenes will be done first to allow ample time for post-production. That means mo-cap / perf-cap. There is a tremendous amount of mo-cap to be done and this is where Giant's talent comes in. Cameron now has an army of experts at his beck and call. Plus he has consulted with Andy Serkis' The Imaginarium for the use of some advanced techniques. It's all very exciting! However it is also time consuming and thus the delay. Shooting mo-cap for underwater scenes is going to be very tricky and has got to be done right. Better than right - James Cameron right.

Let's talk story. My source says there will be the exploration and magical moments, but there is also the retribution of corporate Earth and Stephen Lang. His words: "It's going to be the most elaborate  production in cinema history, bar none." I believe him. He's one of my top sources and besides - Cameron with an astronomical budget will deliver far and above our expectations, I'm sure. He always has.

I'll have more for you as soon as I can. Some of this is breaking news - other bits are just nicely plugging in now. It is certainly a clearer picture - but too bad for audiences, it'll be another year to wait.

Sources: AP | Variety | Deadline
Photo: AP / Nick Perry

James Cameron Dishes On AVATAR Sequels: "They’re gonna be BITCHIN'!"

James Cameron has come out from his creativity cave to finally give the world some comments on his AVATAR sequels and he doesn't disappoint! What I love about his movies are that they go for broke and leave nothing on the table. It's in your face and authentic. So yes, you can expect to have your mind blown for each and every one of these sequels. 

Here's what he had to say:
“I can tell you one thing about them, they’re gonna be bitchin’. You will sh*t yourself with your mouth wide open.”

Not surprising words to describe his movies - he's earned the right to say them, jokingly or not. More importantly to me, he addressed a technical issue that has been on the top of my mind since I spoke with him after his high frame rate (HFR) demonstration in Vegas. Specifically, whether he was leaning more toward 60 fps or 48 fps. Here's his dish on that:

“My thinking at the time was that 60 (frames per second) might be a better segue to the video market. I’ll be plugging into a system that’s a little more mature, so it makes sense for me to do 48 frames at this point.”

We all know that Peter Jackson's HOBBIT franchise was all shot in native 3D (with those amazing 3ality Technica rigs) and at a HFR of 48 fps. Cameron is giving a nod to Jackson for getting the ball rolling on HFR and it appears as though Lightstorm Entertainment will follow this same path at 48 fps. Further, with Cameron's close friend's franchise finale THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES launching in mere weeks, Cameron also acknowledged that a MAJOR plot point in the original AVATAR originated from Jackson and/or Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens...

“When Neytiri is holding Jake and she’s just brought him back to consciousness, the ‘I see you’ line was suggested by them. It might have been Peter who said that.”

For me, that scene in the trailer where Neytiri holds Jake is the culmination of the entire movie. It was make or break time and the visual effects prevailed big-time. I can't tell you the emotional impact that scene had on me from a creative standpoint. It resonated with me deeply and it still affects my creative writing to this day. So yeah, huge contribution by Jackson and his team on that one, and good on Cameron to give that credit. Man, would I ever like to see a collaboration between Jackson and Cameron on a project - similar to what Jackson has done with Spielberg - but MORE. :-)

More on the AVATAR sequels when I get them.

Source: Empire

Sigourney Weaver Returning For More AVATAR Sequels - But NOT As Augustine!

I had anticipated a twist in how Sigourney Weaver would be brought back to life in the sequels - this is sci-fi after all, so why not a different character? It makes sense. Perhaps a part of Ewya (the Na'vi "God" of Pandora)? Perhaps representing Ewya? Hmmm.

The news is exciting as it kind of delineates official communication about the AVATAR sequels from Cameron and the studio. The statement was made by Cameron and 20th Century Fox Monday.

Anyway, here's what James Cameron had to say bringing this to light:
"Sigourney and I have a long creative history, dating back to 1985 when we made ‘Aliens. We’re good friends who’ve always worked well together, so it just feels right that she’s coming back for the Avatar sequels. Her character of Grace Augustine, as fans know, died in the first movie, so she’s playing a different and in many ways more challenging character in the upcoming films. We’re both looking forward to this new creative challenge, the latest chapter in our long and continuing collaboration." 

Yes, Cameron said sequels - plural. Weaver will be playing this new character through at least 2 of the 3 upcoming movies it seems.

More info when I get it!

AVATAR 2, 3 and 4 are slate for release in December 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively. For all of our AVATAR news, click here. Thanks Morka for the heads up :-)

James Cameron On The "Parallel Process" Of Writing Three Avatar Sequels Concurrently

So James Cameron had some interesting things to say at the LA Times Hero Complex Film Festival over the weekend and in particular about writing AVATAR 2, 3 and 4.

At this point we know about his writing team of Shane Salerno (AVATAR 4), Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa (Married and co-writers on AVATAR 3) and Josh Friedman (AVATAR 2), but we didn't know how it would all work. How do you bring together 5 writers (Cameron is obviously involved too) to get these productions done back to back to back?

Well as it turns out, I don't need to paraphrase what was said as Cameron can communicate very well - so here are his comments:

James Cameron: "We tried an experiment. We set ourselves a challenge of writing three films at the same time. I knew I could certainly write any one of them but to write three in some reasonable amount of time – we wanted to shoot them together so we couldn’t start one until all three scripts were done and approved. So I knew I was going to have to ‘parallel process’ which meant I would have to work with other writers. And the best experience I had working with other writers was in television when I did Dark Angel. The television room is a highly collaborative and fun experience. So we put together a team, three teams actually — one for each script. The teams consist of me and another writer on each one of those three films. Each [individual writer] would have their own script that they’re responsible for. But what we did that was unique beforehand was we sat in a writing room for five-months eight-hours-a-day and we worked out every beat of the story across all three films so it all connects as one three film saga. I didn’t tell [the three writers] which sequel was going to be theirs to write until the very last day. So everybody was equally invested story-wise in all three films. So the guy that got the third movie, which is the middle film of this new trilogy, he now knows what preceded and what follows out of what he’s writing at any given moment. We all consider that to be a really exciting, creative and groundbreaking experiment in screenwriting. It worked as a process to get our minds around this epic and all these new creatures and environments and characters."

Love how he did not disclose who would be writing what early on! That would cultivate the best ideas from all of them during the massive group sessions so that they can be spread out equally and thoughtfully throughout the timeline. It would also lead to cohesiveness of the storyline too - you don't want abrupt changes from one movie to the next. I'm thrilled to hear how this was done!

AVATAR 2 is slated for a December 2016 release with AVATAR 3 and 4 due out in 2017 and 2018.

Source: Collider

Cameron: AVATAR Will Be Shooting In 4K With Potential Variable Framerate !

Just heard from one of my French readers (Thanks Chris!) and he sent me a very cool interview James Cameron completed recently. Here are some of the key takeaways:

- Still in creative pre-production; going to be spectacular.
- New worlds, new habitats, new cultures.
- Still Humans (dominating nature) vs. Navi (integrating into nature), but with new manifestations.
- Working with Weta Digital to create a whole new suite of tools to speed up production.
- Considering shooting whole movie in high framerate -or- variable framerate (only the parts of the movie that make sense to be in HFR).
- Shooting at a native resolution of 4K.

I'm also on the trail of something very interesting about the sequels and I'll have that story up when I get it vetted. Very cool about the AVATAR sequels in 4K and I would wager that he'll opt for variable frame rate. More when I get it! 

Avatar 2 is slated for release in December 2016, with the remaining two coming each year after that.


Suites d'"Avatar" : "Je crois que ça va être... by rtl-fr

AVATAR 2, 3 And 4 Coming In 2016, 2017 and 2018: Shooting In New Zealand

Exciting update from Kiwi!! As expected the month of release for AVATAR 2, 3 and 4 will all be December for 2016, 2017 and 2018. New Zealand is all smiles as it was also announced that the island nation will be front and center with the productions as well.

The anticipated budget for the trio of sequels is a mind boggling $412 million (US), mostly for live action and VFX. Work has ALREADY BEGUN at Peter Jackson's Weta.

Apparently the AVATAR productions will be enjoying a 25% government rebate. The agreement also states that the DVD and Blu Ray releases will showcase a featurette on New Zealand, 90% of the live action crew are to be Kiwis, New Zealand will have at minimum one official red carpet premiere and an internship program will be set up.

MarketSaw friend and mega producer Jon Landau was also on hand.

You can view the announcement below (Be sure to full screen it for a better view).

Will let you know the moment I have more!!

Source: Variety | Stuff.co.nz

AVATAR Update: Cameron Going Energy Net Zero With Productions; Worthington Says Sequels Start Shooting Oct 2014

James Cameron is putting his money where his mouth is by self-financing (~ $5 million) a ~1 MW array of solar panels on the roofs of the MBS studios in Manhattan Beach. 3,692 solar modules producting 960 KWs to be precise.

Says Cameron: "The Avatar sequels are a great opportunity to show how we, as a production company, can make clean green solar energy as we go. Going into Avatar 2 and 3, we are going to be able produce enough solar energy to handle the entire electrical demand for our computers and performance capture systems here at MBS Media Campus. We have to do this for the future, for our children, and as a moral responsibility to the planet."

This further underscores his call to action from last year: "Some percentage of the presumably-massive 'Avatar' sequel gross will go to charity. Fox has partnered with me to donate a chunk of the profits to environmental causes that are at the heart of the 'Avatar' world."

Further and presumably, Lightstorm Entertainment chose the MBS Studios partially because of the Studios' implementation of a host of attractive ecological features including "An aggressive water conservation program, eco-friendly paints and cleaning products, sustainable café and craft services practices and a number of programs to promote greener transportation by its employees."

Kudos to Mr. Cameron for his continued commitment to the environment and to help present the message of the AVATAR franchise in the best possible way.

Here's a video of the solar panel array effort with my friends Jon Landau and Jim Cameron:



--

Next up Sam Worthington tees up the AVATAR sequels shooting date! Which is, according to the Daily Telegraph of Sydney, October of 2014.

Sam expounds: "I think Jim is building the ship to Pandora to be honest. We are going to start this time next year and we will do two, three and four. I'll be grateful if it finishes."

Sam always speaks his mind - actually I'm kinda surprised he didn't swear a bit there! I had to laugh the first time I got to speak with him he didn't mince words. He's toned down somewhat from those early days in subsequent times I've met him.

I have to say that so far the AVATAR sequel productions are locked up extremely tight. I haven't heard a thing from my major sources and I'm hopeful of something soon emerging. Hopefully we can break something soon as we did for the first go around - like the first image of the Navi. I will also contact Cameron directly to vet any breaking news that we may uncover.

Stay tuned! Pandora's box is about to get opened again...


Sources: MNN

MUST SEE: First Look - Jaw Dropping AVATAR LAND For Walt Disney World !

UPDATED 28Oct13: Found a video overview of their plans - take a look!





Wow. Stunning! Have a look at the first glimpses of what is being planned for AVATAR LAND in Disney's Animal Kingdom, part of Walt Disney World, Florida.

Just looking at Jim Cameron's face: He looks like a kid in a candy store doesn't he? And why not. His vision for this universe is going to be a Walt Disney attraction!

Here's what Tom Staggs, Chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts had to say:
"From the moment AVATAR was released, people were captivated by the mythical world of Pandora. When we announced that we’d be working with James Cameron and Lightstorm Entertainment to bring this world to life in our parks, we felt certain that this partnership and combination of talent and imagination would produce an experience unlike any other ever created.

Our combined team has taken huge steps forward in “imagineering” Pandora as a real place for our guests to see, hear and touch. At the first-ever D23 Expo in Japan, we shared an early glimpse of the plans for AVATAR at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park and I wanted to share some of these breathtaking images and a short preview of what’s to come with all of you.

As these concept renderings show in epic scale, in the world of AVATAR guests will encounter awe-inspiring floating mountains and wander through a nighttime jungle of bioluminescent plants that are alive with light and sound. Guests will also discover what it feels like to soar into the sky riding a Banshee.

And the new AVATAR-inspired land won’t be the only change coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

As part of the largest expansion in the history of the park, we’ll be adding all-new entertainment experiences, including a new nighttime spectacular where live music, floating lanterns, water screens and swirling animal imagery all combine to bring a show to Discovery River that will delight our guests and truly cap off their day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The park will introduce more nighttime entertainment as well, including live performers on Discovery Island (pictured above) and a new nighttime version of the Kilimanjaro Safaris.

As the world of AVATAR becomes real at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the energy and passion shared by our Imagineers and the Lightstorm team for this monumental task continues to be remarkable. I can’t wait to see the reactions of our guests as they step into a world that until now has only existed on the screen."

Man, I can't wait for this park to open! Makes sense that it would be located in the Animal Kingdom with movie's ecological message too. The water ride through Pandora at night looks to be mind blowing! And the "Ride The Banshees" looks to be a flight simulator / 3D immersion combination similar to the Transformers 3D ride I am wagering. I'm still a kid at heart and I could spend weeks in a place like this! More info whenever I get it...

Source: Disney Parks Blog via CBM

AVATAR Sequels Slated For 2016, 2017 And 2018! Cameron Enlists New Writers!! *BUT* Are They Really All Sequels??

...And then there was four! Of course there has been hints and conjecture about having 3 sequels before and now that's been confirmed with James Cameron's AVATAR sequels 2, 3 and 4 being officially announced by Fox -AND- we also have the slated release dates for said movies: December 2016, December 2017 and December 2018 (yes, blockbuster 2015 actually took a step backwards today!).

BUT will they all be sequels? Part of the "hints" that have been dropped have included James Cameron himself back in September of last year when he said: "Because when we drop in, even in the first film in AVATAR 1, as it will be known in the future, we’re dropping into a process that’s 35 years into a whole colonization. That will complete an arc and if that leads into more, we’ll start - not imitating STAR WARS, but it’s a logical thing to do because we’ll have completed the thematic arc by the end of (AVATAR 3). The only thing left to do is go back to see what it was like on those first expeditions and create some new characters that then become legacy characters in later films. It’s a plan."

"I have an idea for a fourth. I haven’t really put pen to paper on it, but basically it goes back to the early expeditions of Pandora, and kind of what went wrong with the humans and the Na’vi and what that was like to be an explorer and living in that world."

So as a fan of the AVATAR universe, don't always believe what is being reported without digging a bit further. This is still conjecture but I have my sources on it. I'll let you know when I find out.

All three massive movies will be shot at the same time alluding to a massive budget green light from the studio. It seems like a no-brainer after the original is the reigning king of the box time office at almost $2.8 billion, but make no mistake - it takes guts to pull a trigger this size.

But the chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos of Fox voiced nothing but confidence: "We at the studio have no higher priority, and can feel no greater joy, than enabling Jim to continue and expand his vision of the world of Avatar. The growing breadth and scale of Jim Cameron’s plans for his magnificent fantasy worlds continue to amaze us all."

"The growing breadth and scale of Jim Cameron’s plans for his magnificent fantasy worlds continue to amaze us all." That warrants repeating!

To emphasize the increased scope of the franchise and the workload that must be completed before production begins next year, Cameron has hired some writers to assist in the undertaking, and the countdown IS ON.

Writers Josh Friedman (WAR OF THE WORLDS), Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES) and Shane Salerno (SAVAGES) have all been tapped by the maestro of it all, Cameron.

Says Cameron: "Building upon the world we created with Avatar has been a rare and incredibly rewarding experience. In writing the new films, I’ve come to realize that Avatar’s world, story and characters have become even richer than I anticipated, and it became apparent that two films would not be enough to capture everything I wanted to put on screen. And to help me continue to expand this universe, I’m pleased to bring aboard Amanda, Rick, Shane and Josh — all writers I’ve long admired –­ to join me in completing the films screenplays."

So where does this leave us? It's interesting and still very much speculative. Will there be a prequel as Cameron has said in the recent past. Are the writers all working on the movies or are they branching off to help build the universe further - case in point, the AVATAR novel that Cameron was said to be working on. I could go on, but the only real answers here is the commitment to dates, the number of movies and the budget green-light on these projects which could and probably will top $1 billion to get made.

Stay tuned for more info. I've got my ears to the same ground that dropped us huge bits of info for the original! Can't wait to hear more...

Sources: THR | Deadline

HOBBIT: Last Day of Shooting PJ Blogging All Day!

Tim here, and it looks like today is the last day of shooting on The Hobbit films. This information comes from Peter Jackson's Facebook Page, and as a surprise treat Peter Jackson has promised to blog from the set all day! He started off with a picture (left) from his iPad and a note. Below is his first blog note:

Our last day of shooting.

Ever since starting these blogs, there's been something I thought I'd like to try one day (as well as answering the other 19 questions I owe you!) - blogging throughout a shoot day in real time. Try to give you all a feeling for what we deal with on an average day.

Today is not exactly "average", given it's our last day of shooting, but if I don't do it today, I never will!

So here goes ... I'll try to update as much as I can during the day. At least with a quick photo. Text will depend a little on how busy it gets.

Right now, it's just gone 6.30am here in Wellington. I'm in bed, about to get up! I didn't get much sleep - too stressed about how we're going to get through everything we need to shoot. I kept running it over in my mind.

We're shooting scenes for Film 3 today. Stuff you will see in Dec 2014, so I'm going to try and make this honest, but spoiler free.

I've been lying here in pitch darkness, watching fight rehearsals over and over again. Our stunt co-ordinatior, Glen Boswell, worked with the actors last weekend, designing some climatic battle moments. He filmed them, and I have them on my iPad, in an application we wrote called "WingNut TV". It's a program that allows a huge amount of material to be catalog used and updated each day over the Internet. It contains all our dailies, edited films, previs, music, and much more. I'm looking at the fights, figuring out the angles I'll need to film them today. A huge amount to do, and it needs to get done.

Our shoot day starts at 8.30am, and is supposed to finish at 7.30pm. I suspect we'll be working late. Whenever we work a long day, I joke with the crew that I'm just softening them up for when Jim Cameron shows up in Wellington to shoot Avatar 2 and 3. Well ... It's not really a joke.

I'll try and update often today.

Make sure to check in regularly to see what more he posts! We'll post a recap when he finishes all his posts. Also, don't forget to scroll down to see the pic he posted yesterday of him with the early release model of the next generation RED camera... "The Dragon"

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug hits IMAX 3D and RealD 3D theaters December 13^th, 2013, and The Hobbit: There and Back Again hits IMAX 3D and RealD 3D theaters December 17^th, 2014.

FULL EVENT VIDEO - BATTLE ANGEL Will Be Cameron's Next Project After AVATAR 2 And 3

Director James Cameron dropshipped into the TagDF tech forum in Mexico City this past Wednesday and everything was definitely five by five.

Probably the biggest single piece of news out of the event is that he is going to be focusing on BATTLE ANGEL after the two AVATAR sequels! This is huge news as many of his projects have been sliding from the back burner to the shelves over and over. He says that he will start to develop BA in 2017 once he is done with the Na'vi.

And speaking of Na'vi, Cameron says that he will be honing in on story and characters more so than new technology this time around. This guy knows just what to say doesn't he? Definitely.

Additionally, he was speaking with GRAVITY director Alfonso Cuarón at the conference (see the video below) on stage. Apparently Cameron helped out Cuarón and his movie, giving him advice when needed. I am so looking forward to that movie.

Cameron also expounded on 3D and what is happening in today's market. Again he emphasized the merits of native 3D vs. conversion (something I am steadfastly in agreement with) and that today's directors are having 3D forced upon them, even those who are not comfortable or don't like 3D. He accurately stated that 3D is moving away from directors and into the hands of the studios.

Further he said that MAN OF STEEL and IRON MAN 3 "should not necessarily be in 3D. If you spend $150 million on visual effects, the film is already going to [look] spectacular [and] perfect."

Here's the event - the first part of the video is in Spanish, but it soon switched to English when Cameron gets involved, but with Spanish translation:





Here's an English only segment:




Via The Film Stage | YouTube

Exclusive: AVATAR 2 And 3 Update From A Source *AND* A James Cameron Update!

Let's start with the tantalizing email I received from one of my AVATAR sources about what we can generally expect from AVATAR 2: Water. I'll just let you read his info below, but it's pretty much right on track with what my expectations have been all along. Then we'll go over Cameron's recent interview talking AVATAR...

Here's my source's email (emphasis is mine):

"Jim is probably going to kill himself making this, no I'm not joking. This is going to be the very definition of ambitious film making. The jump will be like Terminator 2 Judgement Day was to The Terminator.

All you need to know is... water. Lots of water. Lots of things in the water. A key component, but by no means the only one. Those who loved the first, will be equally amazed at what they haven't seen. The lengths to which R and D are going, is monumental, but that is just an one aspect, this is pushing on all cylinders. Avatar was just an introduction to a world and an idea, going forward will be where the world is explored and explained, but perhaps not the only one. Which brings challenges in itself, worlds are unique. Not everything in that universe will be so beautiful and picturesque. That is a key word I think, universe.

We always picture ourselves as the invaded, but never the invaders in cinema. If you take a look at the real world, that may not be such a realistic stance, if we were capable of it, we most likely would put profit and resources over planetary systems and ecosystems. We do it here on Earth all the time, and just look at the results.

James Cameron is a genius, I hate that word, but there is no other word to really describe him.

You all need to start getting excited, because I'm telling you, He'll be back."

So the real news here is the source confirmation that water is heavily involved, the AVATAR universe is about to open up and Cameron is not slowing down in the research and development areas of his work. So of course I'm thinking 48 or 60 frames per second, some cool new performance capture technology and perhaps having Cameron himself strapped high above the volume shooting his scenes! Why do I say that? His company, Cameron Pace Group shot CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: WORLD'S AWAY where he did actually strap himself in a harness 80 feet off the ground for some shots. I could very easily see a harness being used for 360 wraparound shots that involve actors swimming underwater. Says Cameron: "Put me in a body harness with a camera and I'm fine. Free rock climbing, however, is something you will never see me do. Ever!"

Here's what Cameron had to say about AVATAR 2 and 3 recently while publicizing the disc release of WORLDS AWAY 3D:

Can you give us some scoop about your upcoming little film called "Avatar 2"
Cameron: "Oh believe me, it's not that little! It's not exactly a little, intimate drama. I'm working on 'Avatar 2' and 'Avatar 3.' I was talking the other day with Peter Jackson and said, 'You had it easy dude. You had the books when you did the second and third 'Lord of the Rings.' I have to create my own books in my head and extract a script from it. I'm deep into it and I'm living in Pandora right now. There is that start up torque where you feel it's coming to you. Then you build up momentum. That's when it gets fun. The characters talk and it's writing itself. I'm almost there right now. It's building fast."

Click to enlarge

Tell us a little bit about your life. For example, what is your writing process? 
Cameron: "As a writer, I need isolation. I'm calling you from New Zealand right now where I'm writing on a little farm. When you live in a special world like Pandora, you have to live in that world."

Do you ever feel the pressure of topping yourself? And do you have a release date you can share with us for "Avatar 2 and 3?"
Cameron: "Pressure, no. It's a little daunting because sequels are always tricky. You have to be surprising and stay ahead of audience anticipation. At the same time, you have to massage their feet with things that they know and love about the first film. I've walked that line in the past, so I'm not too worried about it. At the same time, I definitely have to deliver the goods…As for a release date that will be determined by when I get the script out. No pressure!"

Stay tuned for more! I've got my ears to the ground on this and I'm begging for a concept board shot as soon as I can get it! :-)

Cameron Interview Source: Play Goes Strong via Bleeding Cool

James Cameron: AVATAR 4 Will Be A Prequel - Jon Landau: BATTLE ANGEL Still Coming!

Some HUGE news out of the Lightstorm Entertainment camp today from it's two biggest players: Director James Cameron and producer Jon Landau.

First let's hear from Cameron as he lets us know that AVATAR 4 will actually be a prequel rather than following on the tails of AVATAR 3!

Here's Cameron's rationale: "Because when we drop in, even in the first film in AVATAR 1, as it will be known in the future, we’re dropping into a process that’s 35 years into a whole colonization. That will complete an arc and if that leads into more, we’ll start - not imitating STAR WARS, but it’s a logical thing to do because we’ll have completed the thematic arc by the end of (AVATAR 3). The only thing left to do is go back to see what it was like on those first expeditions and create some new characters that then become legacy characters in later films. It’s a plan."

"I have an idea for a fourth. I haven’t really put pen to paper on it, but basically it goes back to the early expeditions of Pandora, and kind of what went wrong with the humans and the Na’vi and what that was like to be an explorer and living in that world."

"We’ve spent two years refining the whole pipeline. It was a hideously complex process to make that film and a lot has been said about that, but we don’t want it to be done in the same prototypical way as the first one, we want it to be a much smoother workflow just for creativity reasons."

And an obvious elbow to the ribs of Peter Jackson with this quote:
"You know, Peter Jackson had it easy, he already had the books. He had the books. Now if I had a time machine I could go forward and watch the movies and then come back, but I don’t!"

Simply love that there is a plan coming together at long last for these movies and it definitely seems to hold water why he is doing it.

Now here's what Jon Landau had to say about BATTLE ANGEL:

"I am sure you will get to see BATTLE ANGEL. It is one of my favorite stories, a great story about a young woman’s journey to self-discovery. It is a film that begs the question: 'What does it mean to be human? Are you human if you have a heart, a brain or a soul?'  I look forward to giving the audience the film.

Who we want to put in the lead role today and who we want to put in the lead role when the time comes, it can be two totally different people who would be right for the role. Now we focus on AVATAR for the next four or five years. It will hopefully be right after that."

YES!!! I am unbelievably happy that BATTLE ANGEL is moving forward after AVATAR 2, 3 and 4. For all of our BATTLE ANGEL coverage, click here. I believe it's time to start ramping up my embedded sources for these upcoming AVATAR movies - stay tuned!

Source: MovieZone via Collider

AVATAR 2 Not Expected Until At Least 2015

We have gotten an update for the release of AVATAR 2 and as expected it looks like 2014 is out. 2015 or later is the newly revised estimate from the man himself, James Cameron.

However the upside is that Cameron will be shooting AVATAR 2, 3 and 4 at the same time so while we'll have to wait for the front end of these movies til 2015, the follow up movies should come on a fairly good schedule afterward.

New Zealand will definitely be a huge part of the AVATAR sequels as Cameron plans on using Peter Jackson's Wellington studios as well as his Weta Digital visual effects company. Motion capture will be done in Los Angeles.

Cameron is also personally investing in the kiwi island nation by purchasing a 2500 acre home on Lake Pounui. Word is he is considering building his own studios in Auckland. He was careful to point out however that "I'm not there to compete with Peter."

More AVATAR news when we get it!

Source: NYTimes

Sigourney Weaver: James Cameron Will Shoot AVATAR 2, 3 And 4 Concurrently

We have all heard that James Cameron will be shooting AVATAR 2 & 3 back to back and that the man himself hinted at a fourth movie to be thrown in the mix - well now it seems that the hint was true as it has been confirmed by someone who should know: Sigourney Weaver.

Weaver was asked about her upcoming slate of projects (unfortunately precious little direct quotes):
She goes right into a new Christopher Durang play for a short run at Lincoln Center. Then she films Avatar 2, 3, and 4 with James Cameron. That’s right: they’re making three sequels to the blue 3D phenom all at the same time. Weaver says she has no idea how long it will take, or how it’s going to work. “I just show up,” she said.

There you have it. When James Cameron said he was in the AVATAR business, he meant it.

Think about what this means. The director of the top two movies of all time is now preparing to unleash not one but three sequels to his number one hit. Don't forget this guy's track record with sequels. So imagine just how crazy this is going to get! Finally we have a series of films from him that will rival STAR WARS.

Interesting to hear that Sigourney will be in ALL the AVATAR movies. That in itself is a bit of a spoiler... 

I'll have more soon as pre-production ramps up on the movies. Up until now, there simply has been nothing to report as he had the smallish task of diving solo to the bottom of the world for the first time ever. Stay tuned! It's about to get really hot around here...

Source: Showbiz411 via Collider and MarketSaw reader eriaur - Thanks!

James Cameron Diving Into AVATAR 2, 3 And 4 Next, Other Projects Backburnered

Well some good news and some bad news. The good news is James Cameron is back from his dive and while there is a 3D documentary coming out about it, he is hard at work on AVATAR 2 and 3. He's been writing. And filling in where he wants to take us, but he has stepped back from world building for the moment. As you can imagine, building worlds is a tough business to be in. Think about it for a minute: Pandora's environment, flora and fauna, cultures, language, the physics of this new world - unobtainium, floating mountains, etc. Time consuming to say the least!


So will we see another alien race or planet / moon in AVATAR 2 or 3? Looks like the answer is... maybe. I've listened to how some of my readers have interpreted his message and it is feasible that he intends on growing the AVATAR universe to other moons, etc. Cameron has pulled the plug on his development arm though. Let's hope it is ONLY new development.

The bad news is it looks like BATTLE ANGEL may be far in the future. Cameron is now saying he is totally in the AVATAR business (which IS great news) and that there may even be an AVATAR 4 before anything else. So all of you BA fans will have to wait longer (myself included). I am actually ok with this. There is so much he can do with the AVATAR universe that his mind must be racing.

Add in the fact that Ridley Scott looks like he has a diamond soon to be released in PROMETHEUS, Cameron is going to want to answer that movie with resounding: "Ok Ridley, top THIS one!"

So let's get to the quotes:

Cameron on other filmmakers:
"I don’t find my inspiration in movies. I find my inspiration in life – in the natural world, in daily life. There are filmmakers that come along that are quite iconoclastic. And that I’m in awe of, frankly. Zack Snyder’s “300.” I think that was a really revolutionary film, because it was a completely deconstructive form of filmmaking in a way that nobody had done before, other than maybe Robert Rodriguez. That’s inspirational to me. Zhang Yimou’s films are inspirational to me. I have to see them multiple times to really see how he’s doing it and what exactly he’s doing that seems to work so well. So as a fan of film, there are certain films that come along that are just stunning to me, and I’ll study them."

"...You know, there’s the old guard. You know, Spielberg, Kubrick and all that sort of thing. But in terms of new filmmakers, up and coming, I haven’t seen anybody that blew me away in the last year or so."

Cameron on his next projects:
"I’ve divided my time over the last 16 years over deep ocean exploration and filmmaking. I’ve made two movies in 16 years, and I’ve done eight expeditions. Last year I basically completely disbanded my production company’s development arm. So I’m not interested in developing anything. I’m in the “Avatar” business. Period. That’s it. I’m making “Avatar 2,” “Avatar 3,” maybe “Avatar 4,” and I’m not going to produce other people’s movies for them. I’m not interested in taking scripts. And that all sounds I suppose a little bit restricted, but the point is I think within the “Avatar” landscape I can say everything I need to say that I think needs to be said, in terms of the state of the world and what I think we need to be doing about it. And doing it in an entertaining way. And anything I can’t say in that area, I want to say through documentaries, which I’m continuing. I’ve done five documentaries in the last 10 years, and I’ll hopefully do a lot more. In fact, I’m doing one right now, which is on this, the Deep Sea Challenge project that we just completed the first expedition. So that’ll be a film that’ll get made this year and come out first quarter of next year."

"We’ve spent the last year and a half on software development and pipeline development. The virtual production methodology was extremely prototypical on the first film. As then, no one had ever done it before and we didn’t even know for two and half years into it and $100 million into it if it was going to work. So we just wanted to make our lives a whole lot easier so that we can spend a little more of our brainpower on creativity. It was a very, very uphill battle on the first film. So we’ve been mostly working on the tool set, the production pipeline, setting up the new stages in Los Angeles, setting up the new visual effects pipeline in New Zealand, that sort of thing. And, by the way, writing. We haven’t gotten to the design stage yet. That’ll be the next."

"It’s conceivable (on working in China for the AVATAR sequels). You know, one of the things I want to explore while I’m here is the idea of co-production on those films, but it’s a slightly different case because they’re studio films. There were zero… I can’t say zero exteriors. We did one night in the parking lot next to the sound stage. But there were no locations."

I'll have more when I get it, and when I hear back from my sources. Once work ramps up on the AVATAR sequels we'll have some cool updates guaranteed! :-)

Source: NYTimes