James Cameron's 'AVATAR' greenlit by FOX - $200 million budget

[Scullibundo]

Originally got the news from AICN, but the NY Times article is a better read.

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 8 — James Cameron, the director whose “Titanic” set a record for ticket sales around the world, will join 20th Century Fox in tackling a similarly ambitious and costly film, “Avatar,” which will test new technologies on a scale unseen before in Hollywood, the studio and the filmmaker said today. The film, with a budget of close to $200 million, is an original science fiction story that will be shown in3D in conventional theaters. The story pits a human army against an alien army on a distant planet, using live actors and digital technology to make a large cast of virtual creatures who convey emotion as authentically as humans. Earlier movies like the “The Lord of the Rings” did so on a limited basis, while those like “The Polar Express” have used live actors to drive animated images with so-called “motion capture” technology. But none has gone as far as “Avatar” will do to create an entirely photorealistic world, complete with virtual characters on that scale, Mr. Cameron said in a telephone interview. “This film is a true hybrid — a full live-action shoot, with C.G. characters in C.G. and live environments,” he said, referring computer-generated images. “Ideally at the end of the of day the audience has no idea which they’re looking at.” The making of “Titanic,” Mr. Cameron’s last full-blown Hollywood feature, was the stuff of movie legend. The film, released in 1997, went far over its planned cost to become the most expensive production that had then been made. But it went on to become a historic success, taking in a record-breaking $1.8 billion at the worldwide box office, and also winning 11 Oscars, including an award for best picture. Mr. Cameron said that he had taken care to avoid the problems he encountered on his last gargantuan production, and that he was already four months into shooting the nonprincipal scenes by the time Fox gave final approval to the project today. “I’ve looked long and hard at ‘Titanic’ and other effects-related things I’ve done where they’ve drifted budget-wise,” he said. “This has been designed from the ground up to avoid those pitfalls. Will we have other pitfalls? Yes, probably.” For its aliens, “Avatar” will rely on characters that will be designed in the computer, but played by human actors, with tiny cameras on headsets recording their performances to be inserted into a virtual world. Mr. Cameron has already devised revolutionary methods to shoot the film, which he has been quietly doing since the fall, and expects to create still more methods to bring to life the vision of a completely realistic alien world. He and computer experts have designed a camera that allows the director to observe the performance of the actors-as-aliens in the virtual environment in real time. Sam Worthington, a young Australian actor, has been named to play the lead, as a paralyzed former marine who undergoes an experiment to exist as an avatar, another version of himself. The avatar is not paralyzed, but is an alien — 10 feet tall and blue. Zoe Saldana, another relative unknown, has been chosen as the love interest. “We could do it with make-up, in a ‘Star Trek’ manner, we could put rubber on his face, but I wasn’t interested in doing it that way,” said Mr. Cameron. “With the new tools, we can create a humanoid character that is anything we imagine it to be — beautiful, elegant, graceful, powerful — evocative of us, but still with an emotional connection.” The live-action shoot with actors will begin in April, with major effects being done by Weta, the filmmaker Peter Jackson’s New Zealand-based effects company, which worked on his “Lord of the Rings.” The film is scheduled for release in summer 2009. “This will launch an entire new way of seeing and exhibiting movies,” said Jim Gianopulos, co-chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment. “It’s once again Jim is transforming the medium. Jim’s not just a filmmaker; every one of his films have pushed the envelope, in its aesthetic and in technology. This is an astounding undertaking, and one only Jim could do justice to.”

Hawt. Although I remember him requesting a 300mil budget. But as he hints in the article, he'll still probably have those budget pitfalls.

[temp]

JAMES CAMERON'S BACK, BABY

[Dynamite Shikoku]

“This film is a true hybrid — a full live-action shoot, with C.G. characters in C.G. and live environments,” he said, referring computer-generated images. “Ideally at the end of the of day the audience has no idea which they’re looking at.”

Yeah right

[ManaByte]

Yeah right

I've seen CG for stuff coming out later this year that looks like live action.

[S. L.]

all this CG makes me cry :*(

[Umino]

I thought avatars couldn't be over 150k?

rimshot

[Bebpo]

I thought he was doing the Battle Angel movie or something...

[sportzhead]

At first I thought it was talking about him making a 200 million dollar budget movie based on that Nickelodeon show. I was like, that Avatar cartoon must be huge.

[darscot]

The guy is the man in his genre this will rock just like everything else he has done.

[Fady K]

I thought he was doing the Battle Angel movie or something...

I dont recall any info on this project for quite some time, so maybe its canceled? There was also a game tie-in and havent heard anything about that either.

I dont know, as Avatar is set to release in 2009 :/

[Scullibundo]

He's doing Battle Angel after AVATAR.

metroid - He is one of those directors that pushes the envelope. T2's effects still hold up today.

[Cheebs]

I thought he was doing the Battle Angel movie or something...

James Cameron flirts with many projects, Avatar ended up winning out.

[Great Rumbler]

Battle Angel in 2015 CONFIRMED

Not that I'm unexcited about this project, however.

[Cheebs]

Battle Angel in 2015 CONFIRMED

Heh, knowing Cameron I would never expect Battle Angel ever and Avatar will end up going over budget.

After Avatar he'll probably ramble on about 2-3 different ideas for a few years then go with something and end up delaying it before it's green lit.

[Timbuktu]

I hope Avatar lives up to Cameron's standards. It's much harder to be wowed by a film these days than when Cameron made T2 and Titanic. With effects and CG left, right and centre every other week. I'd wish it isn't just more Gollum and King Kong though.

[sky]

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 8 — James Cameron, the director whose “Titanic” set a record for ticket sales around the world, will join 20th Century Fox in tackling a similarly ambitious and costly film, “Aquaman,” which will test new technologies on a scale unseen before in Hollywood, the studio and the filmmaker said today.

Fixed.

Anyways, looking forward to seeing what he comes up with... it sounds interesting.

[darscot]

I hope Avatar lives up to Cameron's standards. It's much harder to be wowed by a film these days than when Cameron made T2 and Titanic. With effects and CG left, right and centre every other week. I'd wish it isn't just more Gollum and King Kong though.

Cameron has always used CG to tell a story. The CG itself was never the story. Directors like Jackson and Lucas just get carried away and think CG is the answer to there weak scripts. I just don't see Cameron falling into that trap.

[Mason]

I dunno if a James Cameron sci-fi movie really gets me excited at this point, but the 3D thing as well as this new way of filming definitely does.

[jett]

WETA huh? I don't have much hope for the visual effects of Avatar then...

[soundwave05]

I hope Cameron can keep focused on making the story good first and not get caught up in the pissing match of trying to do something new/bigger with CGI just for the sake of doing it or topping LOTR/Matrix etc. because he's been out of the game for a while.

Gollum was good in LOTR because the character *had* to be good to make that story work, not because the special effects team decided they wanted to make a great CG character first and then built a story around that.

But I will give Cameron the benefit of the doubt on this one. It's about time he did another movie.

[Lord Error]

I've seen CG for stuff coming out later this year that looks like live action.

POTC2 already had it. Even people in the CG industry used to think Davy Jones was at least partially done with a mask with a real actor behind the moving face, real eyes, and with real clothes. Can't say I blame them, I thought the same.

That was ILM though, but I have faith Weta has evolved enough to pull this off (Gollum and King Kong were still visibly artificial at times, but great looking at other times).

[soundwave05]

CGI's lost it's "wow" effect though. Every movie has it now. When I first saw Terminator 2 or Jurassic Park, I just about fell out of my chair.

[Scullibundo]

I hope Cameron can keep focused on making the story good first and not get caught up in the pissing match of trying to do something new/bigger with CGI just for the sake of doing it or topping LOTR/Matrix etc. because he's been out of the game for a while. Gollum was good in LOTR because the character *had* to be good to make that story work, not because the special effects team decided they wanted to make a great CG character first and then built a story around that. But I will give Cameron the benefit of the doubt on this one. It's about time he did another movie.

He wrote the treatment for AVATAR around the same time he wrote Aliens....have no fear.

[GhaleonEB]

In Cameron I trust. Still my favorite director. Can't. ****ing. Wait.

[master15]

I'm excited Cameron really knows how to push the envolope and more times thannot deliver upon that vision. Terminator 2 remains one of my favourite films, and easily the best action film made.

The effects still stand up, but it's about the characters created and situations Cameron puts them in.

[jett]

CGI's lost it's "wow" effect though. Every movie has it now. When I first saw Terminator 2 or Jurassic Park, I just about fell out of my chair.

I dunno, I was definitely amazed by POTC2. Sure it's not on JP's level, but CG can still wow(me, at least).

[CajoleJuice]

CGI's lost it's "wow" effect though. Every movie has it now. When I first saw Terminator 2 or Jurassic Park, I just about fell out of my chair.

Yea, not much really blows me away anymore in terms of CG work. Children of Men was the first movie in a while where I went "Holy shit" at an action scene, and that was mostly just because of the way it was filmed. Jesus, I need to see that movie again. But getting back on topic, I have faith that Cameron can wow us all again somehow.

[Sapiens]

this movie will be absolutely huge (in terms of marketing and hype) sometimes, i enjoy the marketing push more than the film itself.

[krypt0nian]

WETA huh? I don't have much hope for the visual effects of Avatar then...

WTF?

[Sapiens]

WTF?

I kind of have to agree with him on this one - WETA's effects in KK and LotR have a style I dont really like.

cameron would be better off with ILM (WotW was amazing)

[Scullibundo]

I kind of have to agree with him on this one - WETA's effects in KK and LotR have a style I dont really like. cameron would be better off with ILM (WotW was amazing)

Funny you should mention WotW. Ryan Church, who is a legendary concept artist, did the art design for WotW and is doing the art design for AVATAR. :)

[Dan]

Yeah. ILM is still untouched when they're given the time and money to do it right. ILM may be inconsistent between different films, but WETA turns in inconsistent work for single films, and their CGI characters always seem a tad too rubbery.

[soundwave05]

The thing about these "half animated" movies is they traditionally have not done all that well.

People still want movies rooted first and foremost with human characters. Pirates was big because of Johnny Depp, not because of the CGI. The Star Wars prequels also fell into this trap, but had enough sway from the Star Wars name and enough curiousity from people who wanted to see the backstory of Darth Vader that it was still able to put up big numbers.

Not sure where Avatar will fall into this mix. Though to his credit, Cameron is pretty strong at keeping the focus on human characters even in the midst of a on screen spectacle. It's actually probably his strongest trait as a director. Even Titanic, whether you liked it or not, the character's never took a back seat to the disaster.

[master15]

I kind of have to agree with him on this one - WETA's effects in KK and LotR have a style I dont really like.

Lord of the rings? I thought by in large the effects were done very well. King Kong was a much more mixed bag however. Kong was amazing but some of the Dinosaurs, particulary the stampede scene was clearly rushed and just look down right bad in parts.

[AgentOtaku]

I'm officially hyped! :)

[ThatCrazyGuy]

Lord of the Rings had great CG. Back off Weta!!!!

Plus, I'm excited for this movie now.

[duckroll]

“Ideally at the end of the of day the audience has no idea which they’re looking at.”

[Scullibundo]

I think Cameron will do well with WETA. Remember, this guy is a ****ing fanatical perfectionist, there's no way Jim will allow the CGI to look anything less than stellar.

[JayDubya]

Cameron + Science Fiction = win.

[Dynamite Shikoku]

Please let Sam Worthington use his natural Australian accent. I mean if its a space movie the character doesn't have to have an American accent yeah?

[kammy]

Aquaman was ASS.

I just hope he can deliver this time.

[Maxrpg]

this movie is going to break all barriers of film, and only cameron can be our guide to the future

[FoneBone]

Yeah. ILM is still untouched when they're given the time and money to do it right. ILM may be inconsistent between different films, but WETA turns in inconsistent work for single films, and their CGI characters always seem a tad too rubbery.

Honestly? I thought they did a great job with the characters on Kong (though, then again, I only saw it once). The big problem was some very questionable live-action/CG integration.

[allegate]

I thought avatars couldn't be over 150k? rimshot

I laughed.

[Dan]

Honestly? I thought they did a great job with the characters on Kong (though, then again, I only saw it once). The big problem was some very questionable live-action/CG integration.

Well, I think the "questionable" integration of CGI elements with real ones has just as much to do with the source CGI as it does crappy compositing (which ABOUNDS, my god, don't remind me of the stuff with the hobbits riding Treebeard *shudder*). I've been very unimpressed with their lighting and texture work, particularly the former. You can throw all the complicated mo-cap and animation up there as you want, but if it's not lit right, it's all for naught.

[Wii]

Funny you should mention WotW. Ryan Church, who is a legendary concept artist, did the art design for WotW and is doing the art design for AVATAR. :)

Really? **** yeah!
My favourite StarWars prequel concept artist!

[Sullen]

The master has returned to us, rejoice my children.

[AlanHemberger]

MOTHER****IN' SCORE!

[jenov4]

Sweet news!!!!!!!

[Yamauchi]

$200 million budget scifi movie? Win.