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

Set Photo: AVATAR Sequel Production Starts Up

My friend Jon Landau (producer) just sent out an iPhone photo of the AVATAR sequel production from New Zealand. I'm so glad that they are able to restart shooting!

Apparently, it was quite a process of quarantines and screening protocols to land back in New Zealand and launch it, but launched they have!

You can click the image for an enlarged view.

There appears to be a very interesting structure that the actors are performing on. Thoughts on what it may be? A structure (tree perhaps), ship or rock formation?

Fascinating seeing the blue and green screening being used at the same time.

I see face shields and masks being used and social distancing in effect - great job guys!  I'll post more when I get 'em!

MUST WATCH: New Trailer For ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL

Hey guys - here's trailer #3 for ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL and it looks stunning! I won't spoil it for you, but be sure to watch it on a big screen with the volume up :-)

I'm first in line for this thing! It's been a long time coming and I'm really looking forward to it.

Here's the movie's storyline:
From visionary filmmakers James Cameron (AVATAR) and Robert Rodriguez (SIN CITY), comes ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, an epic adventure of hope and empowerment. When Alita (Rosa Salazar) awakens with no memory of who she is in a future world she does not recognize, she is taken in by Ido (Christoph Waltz), a compassionate doctor who realizes that somewhere in this abandoned cyborg shell is the heart and soul of a young woman with an extraordinary past. As Alita learns to navigate her new life and the treacherous streets of Iron City, Ido tries to shield her from her mysterious history while her street-smart new friend Hugo (Keean Johnson) offers instead to help trigger her memories. But it is only when the deadly and corrupt forces that run the city come after Alita that she discovers a clue to her past – she has unique fighting abilities that those in power will stop at nothing to control. If she can stay out of their grasp, she could be the key to saving her friends, her family and the world she’s grown to love.

Directed by: Robert Rodriguez
Screenplay by: James Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis and Robert Rodriguez
Based on the Graphic Novel ("Manga") Series: "Gunnm" By Yukito Kishiro
Produced by: James Cameron and Jon Landau
Cast: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jackie Earle Haley, Keean Johnson

Connect with Alita: Battle Angel Online:
Visit the Official Site Here: AlitaTickets.co.uk
Like Alita: Battle Angel on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/AlitaMovieUK

Follow on Instagram: www.instagram.com/20centuryfoxuk
Follow on Twitter: twitter.com/20CenturyFoxUK
Like on Facebook: www.facebook.com/20thCenturyFoxUK/

ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL launches on February 14, 2019.

**UPDATED** WATCH - ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL Trailer Debut And Live Q&A

**UPDATED: Check out the trailer and QandA below!!

I've been waiting for a LONG time for this movie and finally, we have the first trailer to take in!

Today at 11am Eastern, James Cameron, Robert Rodriguez, Jon Landau and Rosa Salazar will be hosting the trailer on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/AlitaMovie), as well as a question and answer session.

Here's the movie's storyline:
From visionary filmmakers James Cameron (AVATAR) and Robert Rodriguez (SIN CITY), comes ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, an epic adventure of hope and empowerment. When Alita (Rosa Salazar) awakens with no memory of who she is in a future world she does not recognize, she is taken in by Ido (Christoph Waltz), a compassionate doctor who realizes that somewhere in this abandoned cyborg shell is the heart and soul of a young woman with an extraordinary past. As Alita learns to navigate her new life and the treacherous streets of Iron City, Ido tries to shield her from her mysterious history while her street-smart new friend Hugo (Keean Johnson) offers instead to help trigger her memories. But it is only when the deadly and corrupt forces that run the city come after Alita that she discovers a clue to her past – she has unique fighting abilities that those in power will stop at nothing to control. If she can stay out of their grasp, she could be the key to saving her friends, her family and the world she’s grown to love.

The movie also stars Jennifer Connelly, Mahershala Ali, Jackie Earle Haley, and Ed Skrein.

Set your calendar so you don't miss it!

ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL opens on December 21.

ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL Sneak Peek At Comic-Con! (Kinda)

It's on! If you're headed to San Diego's Comic-Con you may have an opportunity to see James Cameron's and Robert Rodriguez's ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL!... if you successfully complete a scavenger hunt in time (only 100 tickets up for grabs) to win tickets to the event.

The hunt involves visiting 6 booths at Comic-Con (Loot Crate, Sideshow (Prime 1), Sideshow (Hot Toys), Weta Workshop, Titan Entertainment, Funko) to collect stickers. Note that the event will not be at the Con, but instead at the Regal Theater Horton Plaza (this Friday, July 20).

Ok, it's a sneak peek, but there will be questions and answers with some cast members (Rosa Salazar and Keean Johnson), Rodriguez and producer Jon Landau.

Says Landau: "What makes it special is that it has the trademarks of a typical James Cameron movie. It has a strong female protagonist with universal themes. Alita as a character goes on a journey of self-discovery. She thinks of herself as an insignificant girl. Through her journey, she comes to realize that within her is the ability to make a difference. I can think of no greater universal message today."

The QandA is worth the effort alone, but of course, the sneak peek is sure to blow the roof off of the theater. Wish I was going this year! If you are going and feel up to the challenge - good luck!

ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL is slated for release on December 21, 2018.

Source: THR

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.

James Cameron Selects Robert Rodriguez To Helm BATTLE ANGEL!

I'm actually happy about this move. Don't get me wrong, there is no one I'd rather see direct BATTLE ANGEL than Cameron, but the Rodriguez choice is a little out of left field and edgy. I LIKE IT. Rodriguez has proven he can work with cutting edge tech and 3D (SIN CITY) and besides that, I just really like his approach to filmmaking. EL MARIACHI and DESPERADO were inspired works of art to me.

Rodriguez will have significant help though without a doubt through Cameron and Jon Landau who will both produce. BATTLE ANGEL is a Lightstorm Entertainment property and Laeta Kalogridis contributed to it's adaptation from the manga graphic novels.

I remember one of the discussions I had with Cameron on BATTLE ANGEL right here. He wasn't sure back in 2009 that he'd do it either.

Today's quotes though finally put an end to the long road for the production:

Says Cameron: "Robert and I have been looking for a film to do together for years, so I was pumped when he said he wanted to do Battle Angel. He's very collaborative and we're already like two kids building a go-kart, just having fun riffing creatively and technically. This project is near and dear to me, and there's nobody I trust more than Robert, with his technical virtuosity and rebel style, to take over the directing reins. We're looking forward to learning a lot from each other while we make a kick-ass epic."

Rodriguez follows: "Battle Angel is an incredibly rich and vibrant epic in the tradition of Jim Cameron's spectacular, character-driven films. Getting to work from Jim’s terrific and visionary script while learning the cutting edge techniques he’s pioneered is a master class in filmmaking. It's an honor to explore the world of Alita along with Jim and Jon, whose films have impacted me for decades."

I can't imagine this project being shot in any other way than native and digital 3D, so I'm am doubly thrilled to finally see some action take place here. As you may know we've been following BATTLE ANGEL developments for years. Looking forward to more news from the Lightstorm camp on this!

Source: THR

James Cameron Teaming Up With Cirque du Soleil For A Live AVATAR Show

In a move that doesn't surprise me whatsoever, James Cameron is teaming up with Montreal's Cirque du Soleil to create a live show for the massive theatrical hit AVATAR. Cameron has openly admired Cirque's work and his company Cameron Pace Group shot the native 3D movie CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: WORLDS AWAY that was released in 2012.

The show will open in late 2015 with 20th Century Fox and the Cameron / Jon Landau production shingle Lightstorm Entertainment signed up as partners, stated Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque.

Says Lamarre: “Our relationship with Jim Cameron began with my visit at his ‘Avatar’ cutting room.  I am thrilled that almost 5 years later, Cirque du Soleil will be able to explore the very inspirational AVATAR realm for the live stage. This will mark our second creative project with Jim and I believe it will be as stimulating for both our creative forces.”

Says Cameron: "Over the years, I have discovered the extraordinary talents and imaginations of both the artists and the creative forces behind Cirque du Soleil. I know we share the common goal of bringing audiences to another level of entertainment experiences. I look forward to doing just that on this project."

I'm sure this show will be stunning. Add this to the growing list of extra-theatrical entertainment venues that the AVATAR universe will inhabit. A list that also includes a series of four books and Avatar Land within Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom park.

Source: Variety

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

AVATAR 2 "Live Capture" Tests Shown At Siggraph

Lightstorm Entertainment's Producer Jon Landau (Here's part of why MarketSaw loves Jon!) was on hand at Siggraph last night to show off some early live capture, lighting and shadow tests they did for AVATAR 2. Apparently this work showed off some Na'vi and humans in a CG environment and was shot back in November. Obviously even the tech that James Cameron hopes to use is still very much a work in progress. It never stops in fact.

Still it's great to hear something new about AVATAR 2 from one of the guys deep in the know - Landau. He spent time with Autodesk's Motion Builder software showing off the newest advances in lighting and shadows.

The key to all this and the end benefit for Cameron and his team will be more meshing between more detailed imagery coming out of Motion Builder being sent directly to Weta (Peter Jackson's visual effects house) thereby improving productivity and approvals. Cameron wants to be able to light and shadow his virtual sets in real time and they are getting closer and closer to that eventuality.

Says Landau: "Ultimately our goal is to get to this on stage [for live capture]. This is going to allow Jim to light the scenes and make the process more efficient ... and focus on what is most important—the close up. Movies about storytelling."

AVATAR 2 is slated for a Christmas 2015 release and that could easily change.

Source: THR

James Cameron Taps THE INFORMATIONIST As His First Post-AVATAR Directing Gig

Interesting. James Cameron and Jon Landau have put their money on a novel from last year entitled THE INFORMATIONIST are are teeing it up for #3 on the production runway. The fourth AVATAR along with BATTLE ANGEL may have just been back-burnered with this announcement. My first inclination on this news is posturing. I think Lightstorm may be posturing their next project after the AVATARs and are even dangling the end of AVATAR at 3 to Fox. This type of thing happens ALL the time so it wouldn't surprise me if my first thought was right.

That said, the official PR says quite clearly that "The Informationist will be a project for Cameron after he completes work on the second and third AVATAR films..." so do with that as you will. I'll jingle some bells and talk to some of my "people close to the situation".

Here's the official press release:

LOS ANGELES, (October 23, 2012) – Lightstorm Entertainment has acquired motion picture rights to the acclaimed 2011 novel The Informationist by Taylor Stevens, as vehicle for James Cameron to direct for 20th Century Fox Film. The Informationist will be a project for Cameron after he completes work on the second and third “Avatar” films, which are currently in pre-production.

Published in October 2011, Stevens’ tale centers on Vanessa “Michael” Munroe, an information specialist, whose work is in-demand by corporations, heads of state, private clients, and anyone else who can pay for her unique brand of expertise. When a Texas oil billionaire hires her to find his daughter who vanished in Africa four years ago. Munroe finds herself back in the lands of her childhood. Betrayed, cut off from civilization, and left for dead, she must come face-to-face with the past that she’s tried for so long to forget.

Cameron will produce with Lightstorm partner, Jon Landau. The producers expect to hire a writer to adapt the novel shortly.

Jim Cameron stated: “Taylor Stevens’ Vanessa Michael Munroe is an intriguing and compelling heroine with an agile mind and a thirst for adventure. Equally fascinating for me is her emotional life and her unexpected love story. I’m looking forwarding to bringing Vanessa and her world to the big screen.”

Added Landau: “This was an opportunity to continue our relationship with Fox and Jim Gianopulos beyond the ‘Avatar’ films. We were drawn to this book because of the terrific, compelling narrative and the character, who typifies the strong female protagonists that have inhabited Jim’s work – in this case Vanessa Munroe is essentially a mix of Lisbeth Salander and Jason Bourne.”

A second “Vanessa Michael Munroe” novel, The Innocent, was published earlier this year.

Author Taylor Stevens has a background every bit as intriguing as her heroine’s. Born in New York State, and into the Children of God, an apocalyptic religious cult spun from the Jesus Movement of the ’60s, Stevens was raised in communes across the globe. Separated from her family at age twelve and denied an education beyond sixth grade, she lived on three continents and in a dozen countries before reaching fourteen. In place of schooling, the majority of her adolescence was spent begging on city streets at the behest of cult leaders, or as a worker bee child, caring for the many younger commune children, washing laundry and cooking meals for hundreds at a time. In her twenties, Stevens broke free in order to follow hope and a vague idea of what possibilities lay beyond. She now lives in Texas, and juggles full-time writing with full-time motherhood.

Sounds extremely inviting to me. I'll have to read the book as I hadn't heard of it until just now. It certainly sounds like something in Cameron's wheelhouse and I love that it has franchise potential written all over it. AND, of course, that it's going to be shot in native 3D on Cameron | Pace equipment!!

And if you didn't read the last paragraph of the press release - please do so. The author's own life sounds like a movie in the making!

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 Will Feature Underwater Performance Capture! Probable Release is 2015 At The Earliest

Yes, you heard that correctly, AVATAR 2 will probably be "delayed" until 2015. I placed quotes around delayed because there never was an ironclad release year in mind, it's just because the whole world is clamoring for more AVATAR and you just can't get around conjecture.

Empire recently spoke with my friend Jon Landau, Jim Cameron's right hand man and producer of TITANIC and AVATAR and he informed us that: "Movies make release dates; release dates don’t make movies."

It was great to hear that Cameron will be instilling his experiences of the Mariana Trench dive with the production of AVATAR 2 / 3. Makes total sense of course as the movies will have an underwater component. Note that not the whole movie will be submerged! Landau says that the underwater portions will be similar to how they traveled to the floating mountains in the original AVATAR.

Of particular note from this interview and something I have been trying to get my head around for some time now, is how will they (Weta) achieve performance capture underwater? Will they fake it? Will it actually take place by submerging the actors? Landau comments briefly on this. Curiouser and curiouser!

Here's Jon Landau:



Wow. I am just beside myself the Landau is actually talking about the AVATAR universe because up until now Cameron and Landau have been very tight lipped. So good to see movement toward the end goals! Time to nudge my sources for some info on that underwater performance capture! Remember our coverage of the PerfCap from the original movie? This is going to be great!!


Source: Empire

New Poll: Will You Be Seeing TITANIC 3D?

Let me know your thoughts! Personally I can't wait to see a premium 3D conversion of such a beloved classic movie.

My hometown is burgeoning with TITANIC historical events as Halifax, Nova Scotia played a key role in the story. Many of the perished are buried here and in fact James Cameron shot parts of his movie here. An interesting read is that eighty of the crew and cast became stoned after eating some spiked clam chowder. Curious? Read about it here.

I will be seeing it opening night. How about you? Is this your first time seeing the movie or first time in 3D? Don't really care? VOTE!!

TITANIC 3D opens April 4.

WHOA. TITANIC 3D Valentine's Day Advanced Screening Crashes Servers; Sells Out In Hours

Yes you read that correctly. Fox and Paramount have decided to offer FREE Valentine's Day tickets to see TITANIC 3D well in advance of its April 6 start date. But good luck trying to find a ticket.

It only took a matter of hours to sell out the events in multiple cities around the world and in the process of doing so, crashed the servers granting the tickets. Keep in mind that these showings were not well known to the public at all. Didn't matter. We're talking TITANIC 3D here folks. The screenings will be in RealD.

If you managed to get tickets to one of these shows - let me know. I would be interested in seeing a scan of one of them - or a confirmation receipt!

Source: THR

Jon Landau: AVATAR 2 Is 4 Years Away

AVATAR 2 is seemingly headed for a Christmas 2015 or 2016 release date according to Jon Landau (producer) who was quoted by Bleeding Cool at a preview screening of some scenes of TITANIC 3D. That would make AVATAR 3 a year later. This is all subjective of course as we just started a new year and Landau may have confused dates a bit, but I doubt that.

The news is sad yet not totally unexpected as my sources have also alluded to: Not a lot of action is happening right now in the project other than the fact that James Cameron and Jon Landau are hard at work trying to create their vision. You can't measure creativity (and that includes the AVATAR novel that Cameron has been penning as well) let alone predict it, but when pre-production actually commences my sources will have something to talk about. Sure you will have Lightstorm Entertainment jockey for stage locations, talk to top talent etc, but this is all common to any major production.

In the meantime, I have contacted Fox about Landau's supposed quote and will let you know the second I know more.

Disney Building An AVATAR Theme Park In The Animal Kingdom!!

Yes! What a stunningly exciting announcement made by Bob Iger and Tom Staggs at today's Walt Disney Imagineering press conference: Disney has inked a long term creative partnership with James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment and Fox Filmed Entertainment to bring the world(s) of AVATAR to Disney's Walt Disney World Resort's Animal Kingdom!!

Cameron and Jon Landau will be creative consultants and work with the Disney team to bring all this to fruition. I would say there will be more than one 3D ride I am sure!! :-)

Actually this is a perfect setting for the AVATAR park as the Animal Kingdom celebrates and educates flora and fauna.

Thanks for the quick heads up Josh!

Source: Disney

Update On What James Cameron Has Been Up To Lately...

**Edited conversion company details on TITANIC (August 14)...

We all know James Cameron is a very busy man with AVATAR 2 and 3 looming on the horizon but he does have other things on his plate believe it or not! Let's have a quick update:

1. TITANIC 3D - This morning Fox showed the audience at London's BIG SCREEN (sort of UK Comic-Con) 10 minutes of the new 3D conversion TITANIC! Wish I was a fly on the wall.

Here's what a viewer had to say about what he saw:
Opening on the crowd scene in the docks as the ship is boarding, the most noticeable thing about the footage is how much detail there is. When a film is converted to 3D, objects are rotoscoped and separated out onto layers. Ordinarily there are only a few layers in a shot, but with Titanic ...every single object (was put) onto a separate plane**. The effect is astonishing – and completely justifies a 3D version of the film.

Several of the other scenes shown also looked stunning – the sumptuously decorated rooms and the chaotic engine room in particular. That said, the fact that stereography wasn’t a consideration when the film was shot did cause a few issues in some of the scenes we were shown. In the sequence where Rose attends the raucous dance below decks, the frame is often filled with very close up shots of people as the camera tracks past. Every time this happens it seems to interrupt the effect of the 3D for the few moments afterwards.

The other major issue is the contrast between the rich, multi-planed scenes, and those in much less sumptuous locations. The sequences that took place inside the cabins look almost Spartan, and certainly much more flat, simply by virtue of there being fewer points of reference for us. Similarly, the Rose and Jack on the bow of the ship sequence seems to have received little to no conversion at all, again because of the lack of points of reference.

Sounds as though the conversion was done magnificently. This is a must see in my mind for all you 3D aficionados out there! Cameron won't sign off on anything that isn't up to his standards so rest assured that the conversion will be done right!

2. Meeting With Justin Lin And Arnold Schwarzenegger About Terminator 5 - Cameron apparently met with Justin Lin (FAST FIVE) to help him out with another potential installment in the TERMINATOR franchise for Universal. Schwarzenegger was also present.

Lin says: "Just even this week, I had a great meeting with Arnold and James Cameron, just sitting down unofficially. And James is so gracious because he’s not part of the project, he’s not going to be producing, but it was great of him just as a filmmaker to take time out to just talk."

"I don’t know where it’s going to lead, but I never thought at this level I’m going to be able to meet filmmakers and be in situations where they’re that gracious and insightful and so inclusive. And that’s a franchise that I’m working on right now, but again, if I’m going to be kind of the gatekeeper to it, I want to make sure that I can hopefully build it up the right way – and so far that’s been the most fun. Just to be able to take James Cameron’s brain and for him to be so open even though he has no stakes in it, just as a human being, that’s something that I will always remember as a part of my journey as a filmmaker."

Justin Lin is on the fast track with FAST FIVE pulling in a cool $600m. Could he resuscitate the TERMINATOR franchise? Man I hope so. There is plenty more to do in that realm if you ask me.

Isn't that vintage Cameron to be so inclusive to filmmakers seeking his council? I'm sure that Hollywood is very appreciative of that. He's influenced newer directors as well as the top echelon with his creative ideas and technology. Tip of the hat to Mr. Cameron!

3. Lightstorm Entertainment Hires Kathy Franklin (formerly of Disney) To Be The Keymaster To The AVATAR Universe: Cameron has hired on Franklin to head up all their franchises in development and right now AVATAR is at the top of their list. Obviously there is more to running a franchise than producing movies! Much more and on multiple platforms...

Here's the official release:
LOS ANGELES (August 9, 2011) Kathy Franklin has been named President of Franchise Development at Lightstorm Entertainment. Announced by James Cameron and Jon Landau, the hire signifies Lightstorm's commitment, in collaboration with Twentieth Century Fox, to building the franchise and brand of AVATAR beyond the traditional licensing and merchandising avenues.

Cameron commented, "Anticipating the exponential growth of the Avatar universe, we looked for someone who could lead a team that will cement Avatar as a world class brand across all platforms and markets. Kathy’s experience, coupled with her drive and vision for what Avatar can be, made her the right choice."

Franklin is a seasoned leader with a proven record of designing and implementing industry-leading branding, growth and communications strategies. As Vice President of Global Studio Franchise Development for Disney Consumer Products, she led the strategies that drove the Disney Princess, Disney Fairies, Cars and Toy Story franchises while building integrated partnerships with film, television, and online divisions of The Walt Disney Company. Before that, Franklin was Vice President of Disney Worldwide Outreach, during which she ran marketing and communications for all corporate philanthropic outreach and charitable giving. Franklin's first position at Disney was Director of Disney Learning Partnership, a philanthropy focused on supporting creative approaches to teaching and learning, which she helped launch and for which Franklin created DisneyLearning.org and executive produced "The Creative Classroom Series," an award-winning set of videos and educator guides.

"Bringing Kathy onboard at Lightstorm further reflects the unique creative and business relationship shared by Fox and Lightstorm on the Avatar franchise," said Oren Aviv, Twentieth Century Fox's Chief Marketing Officer, and Tony Sella, Fox's Chief Creative Officer. "Jim Cameron created an amazing universe of mass appeal and we're confident that with Kathy in place, this partnership will further capitalize on the tremendous opportunities inherent in this awesome property."

"Kathy has proven herself to be a forward thinker who possesses the ability to bring new ideas to life," said Landau. "With Kathy's leadership, in collaboration with the team and infrastructure at Fox, I'm confident our franchises will grow in innovative ways that remain consistent with the quality and themes of our films."

"From the beginning, Jim and Jon have viewed AVATAR as a franchise whose storytelling has global reach and impact across multiple platforms. I look forward to leading this exciting new phase in the evolution of the franchise and to working with the team at Twentieth Century Fox to drive AVATAR's continued growth," said Franklin.

Franklin will be based at Lightstorm's Santa Monica headquarters.

So glad to hear that Franklin will be helping out the Lightstorm team because quality control is going to be a major issue if they are going to open up the universe to third parties for development. Good luck Kathy!

More when I get it!

Sources: ComingSoon | The PlayList | THR

MarketSaw Post No. 2000!! TITANIC Has A Release Date!

We are hitting another milestone today as MarketSaw hits 2000 posts! And suitably we have an exciting announcement for the occasion: James Cameron, Fox and Paramount have set the date for the re-release of TITANIC in converted stereoscopic 3D, April 6, 2012.

For you history buffs, yes - that is the same date that the actual Titanic set sail for the first and only time.

Here are some quotes from the official press release:

"There's a whole generation that's never seen 'Titanic' as it was meant to be seen, on the bigscreen," said Cameron in a release announcing the 3D release date. "And this will be 'Titanic' as you've never seen it before, digitally remastered at 4K and painstakingly converted to 3D."

"Our 30-plus year relationship with Jim Cameron and Lightstorm has been enormously rewarding, from 'Aliens' to 'Avatar', and the global phenomenon of 'Titanic' remains one of the greatest sources of pride in our history," said Fox Filmed Entertainment chairmen and CEOs, Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman.

"This new presentation of Paramount's top-grossing film is particularly special because 2012 is the 100th anniversary of our studio," said Brad Grey, chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures. "Paramount has had the pleasure of introducing audiences to some of the all-time classics of cinema during that century of moviemaking and we cannot think of a better way to mark the occasion than with this re-release of 'Titanic'?"

So we finally get a release date for the much anticipated conversion and we should look forward to one heckuva good job on it. I can assure you that this conversion is being done RIGHT. And it is suiting to have such an announcement for our 2000th post as well!