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Avatar Starts Production Today; $1 Billion Budget
- Thread starter vinnygambini
- Start date
BotoxAgent
Member
Cameron was able to do it without relying on household names like Star Wars, Batman or the Avengers. The fact that he creates infinitely watchable mass appeal movies movies with a new universe is what makes his 1b+ accomplishment even more unique
Stuff. Thangs.
I'm sure we'll find out. There's an entire alien world to explore, we've only seen a small part of it.
This! There's no comparison. Cameron created his own shit and didn't rely on source material.
Big difference!
NHarmonic.
Member
Yeah. Seems like he's too focused on the world rather than the mediocre story and bland characters.
I haven't really followed this as the first movie wasn't for me, but is he still planning on these movies being 3D without glasses?
I know the technology for that exists, but wouldn't that require movie theatres to invest in new screens en masse, all over the world? That seems unlikely to happen quickly, unless other studios start investing in that kind of 3D as well.
That could be the kind of gimmick to really draw large audiences, at least for the first 2 or so sequels, but I can't really see how that version of the movie could be available to most people.
But like I said, I haven't followed this closely so maybe that's not what they're doing at all. I could be completely wrong here.
Bonus question: does anyone remember all those adult Avatar cosplayers in the news, who got immensely depressed since they couldn't live inside that world beyond the movie? That was a big quirky news item back when the first one released, parodied everywhere as well. Someone should do a follow up interview with those guys to see how they're doing now. I wonder how long it took them to grow out of that phase.
I know the technology for that exists, but wouldn't that require movie theatres to invest in new screens en masse, all over the world? That seems unlikely to happen quickly, unless other studios start investing in that kind of 3D as well.
That could be the kind of gimmick to really draw large audiences, at least for the first 2 or so sequels, but I can't really see how that version of the movie could be available to most people.
But like I said, I haven't followed this closely so maybe that's not what they're doing at all. I could be completely wrong here.
Bonus question: does anyone remember all those adult Avatar cosplayers in the news, who got immensely depressed since they couldn't live inside that world beyond the movie? That was a big quirky news item back when the first one released, parodied everywhere as well. Someone should do a follow up interview with those guys to see how they're doing now. I wonder how long it took them to grow out of that phase.
Cameron invented films!
There are comparisons and angles anyone can bring up depending who they are trying to defend.
I'd say Titanic is source material. Avatar wasn't. Then again Batman was as dead as dead can be on film and Nolan reinvented and revived it.
But he's still dealing from source material. It's still Batman. I'll argue that M.Night Unbreakable was an incredible original take on the SH genre and doesn't get enough credit. It was just as grounded if not more so then Nolan's movies and had zero source material to fall back on. And this was before the boom of SH films as we know it today.
Edit:. I'm not slighting Nolan's movies in any way. I love the first two and did an incredible job on putting his own vision and stamp on it.
But Avatar does have source material....Pocahontas.
Avatar 2: Here is the great plains part of Pandora filled with giant blue people that plug their USB cables into horse alien things and ride around crazy alien fields while Jake Sulli will conquer the greatest predator on the plains and fight more bad greedy humans.
Avatar 3: Here is the ocean filled with giant blue people that plug their USB cables into giant fish and ride around crazy alien coral reefs while Jake Sulli will conquer the greatest predator in the sea and fight more bad greedy humans.
etc.
I knew that was coming. LOL
I thought it was ferngully?
Who needs stuff like memorability when you have a dozen people on a video game forum swearing up and down that its a beloved classic that millions of people across the world talk about daily?
JimmyRustler
Gold Member
That's what's so great about it. They can go anywhere from here on in. For all we know they could tackle the origin of life in the universe in the sequels. Wouldn't that be something?
When I said that Star Wars TFA would surpass Jurassic Park and bet a 30 day ban, a ton of people started quoting me basically saying how stupid I was. That was honestly an easy one. GAF is never on point when it comes to films. That's why Spiderman 2 is still regarded as the greatest hero film ever here.
Wait! People didn't think TFA would surpass JP? Come on?!?!?
That sounds like a complete lie given how many people expected TFA to break $2bil. If anything, JW's performance made some people overly confident in TFA given they covered similar ground.
Evil Monkey DTT
Banned
It's for 4 movies though, I think it's a very safe bet honestly.
Lol, I can track down that thread if you really want me to.
JimmyRustler
Gold Member
Jurassic World had a huge push from China and Star Wars just isn't that strong over there. So it was completely reasonable to assume it wouldn't do as good. I doubt that anyone expected TFA to do over a billion in the US alone - which is still pretty crazy.
plagiarize
Banned
And yet people are going crazy over World of Pandora at Animal Kingdom, and well they should. You've conveniently missed the things that people loved about Avatar the most, which was being transported to a beautiful yet dangerous alien world.
NHarmonic.
Member
b b-but my avatar themed disney ride! it's so popular!
You mean this thread, in which you claimed that SW will outpace JW and people didn't believe that? I mean, that part was surprising given past December films performance (lower opening weekend, longer legs). But nobody doubted TFA will beat JW. I mean, somebody did, but no-one would call you stupid for thinking what seemed the fairly obvious.
plagiarize
Banned
Were you one of the people who predicted World of Pandora would be a flop? Were you one of the people who predicted Avatar would be a flop? If yes to either, maybe take a step back.
Why should we expect anything like that after the rather rote story and fairly simple straight forward characters from the first? Cameron is one of my favorite directors but Avatar was a story told a thousand times before with a new fancy 3D coat of paint. I'm not exactly expecting a master class in story telling going beyond the most basic of plot lines about evil greedy humans against giant blue noble savages.
There's a lot of nonsense being posted, and Sculli has been pretty calmly correcting it. Avatar was not the hit that it was due to 3D surcharges, and they invented the performance capture tech used in a lot of films today, including the Apes movies. Those are facts.
Just occurred to me that the four sequels could gross less than the first film combined and still not be flops.
Yes that would be majorly disappointing for Fox, especially with marketing costs included, but it would be far from an actual bust (especially with home video factored in).
Yes that would be majorly disappointing for Fox, especially with marketing costs included, but it would be far from an actual bust (especially with home video factored in).
llien
Member
Me says hi.
Avatar is an unusually good Sci Fi movie (not even adding "for Hollywood").
Its story is based on Pocahontas as much as Pocahontas is based on Romulo and Julianne.
Most if not all Blockbusters movies aren't original stories. I'll agree with you the characters aren't as quotable or memorable as his other movies but the plot was perfectly fine. SH films are the same. SH's trying to save the world against their arch enemies. End of story...again and again.
Cameron makes populist movies. If hes one of your favorite directors you already know this.
This sentiment is going to seem silly once the first sequel is out. A lot of people loved the first film (yo).
Did you read the post I was responding to? I'm not talking about other movies out there, I'm talking about Avatar and what to expect for the sequels based on what the first movie gave us which was not a film that has me expecting it to explore ideas like the greater mysteries of the universe and life itself.
CassidyIzABeast
Member
So what are your box office expectations for the the sequels?
And the first movie gave us a blank world in which could go in any direction he pleases. He's not anchored to anything. Let's just chill and see.
Too early to give exact estimates, but Id say $800-920 ww.
ozz ex machina
Member
Avatar was so fucking mediocre. I have no clue how Cameron got away with it. Not sure how anyone can look forward to these monstrosities.
Yeah and the first movie does nothing to inspire confidence in me that its going to do anything beyond the bare minimum outside of the visuals. You say he's not anchored to anything but he's bringing back most of the cast from the first film, even those who had characters that seemingly died. I'd say he's very much anchored to what he started.
It is a film that is fun to look at with a story that audiences around the world enjoyed. It's not that complicated, Cameron made a movie people liked seeing.
CassidyIzABeast
Member
So Avatar in its forgotten, unmemorable, and no fan having state can still pull in Wonder Wonder, GOTG 2, Spiderman money. Interesting.
The first film topped $1B in 3 weeks, off a $77m opening weekend in the US. The sequels are going to open higher.
SillyEskimo
Member
3D, right?
Gai Murakumo
Member
With that big of a budget it better be the greatest movie of all time that absolutely blows me away.
I actually think it will be just as meh as the first one minus the visuals.
That's one way to look at it. I look at it as a 70% drop from the first film.
It still has James Cameron on the poster!
Im basing this off of the fabled CAMERON bump.
If this were coming out 3 years after the first one, sure.