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[SCULLIBUNDO]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...p-administration-these-people-are-insane.html

I like that. So how is Avatar 2 coming along? Obviously the first one is the all-time box office champ, so the bar is set pretty high here.

The thing is, my focus isn’t on Avatar 2. My focus is on Avatar 2, 3, 4, and 5 equally. That’s exactly how I’m approaching it. They’ve all been developed equally. I’ve just finished the script to Avatar 5. I’m now starting the process of active prep. I’ll be working with the actors in the capture volume in August, so I’m booked in production every day between now and then. Our volume is up and running, and everything is designed, and so we’re going full-guns right now. I feel like I’ve been let out of jail, because I’ve been in the writing cave for the last two years. I’m actually enjoying life. I don’t enjoy writing. I wouldn’t wish writing on a dog.]

Plus some other tidbits.

Would you ever direct a Star Wars or Marvel superhero film? I feel your fans would salivate over that possibility.

I’m not the slightest bit interested in laboring in someone else’s house.

There does seem to be an Academy bias against big movies like that. When you had Dark Knight and Wall-E both get snubbed for Best Picture, many people cried foul, and the Academy expanded Best Picture to between 8-10 nominees. But it hasn’t made a difference.

There’s definitely a bias. The Academy still has a majority of its members that are actors. Look, I love actors, but that’s how they think—they’re generally skeptical of technology. So when they see a film that’s too dependent on visual effects, they say, oh, that’s not an acting movie. Well Titanic was a visual effects movie in sheep’s clothing, you know? Yes, it had visual effects, but it was about the people and about the story. The visual effects were eclipsed by that. But if you do a movie like Avatar, the effects are right out front, and even though I felt the acting was just as good, and the story we were telling was just as good, they’re not going to reward it the same way. That’s just a fact of life. I had made a decision way before Titanic that I wasn’t going to serve two masters: I was going to put my visual cinema first. Even though I’ve spent an awful lot of time on scripts and on performance, I still love doing big, visual cinema. I doubt I’ll even get nominated again, but if I did, I’m probably going to lose to a Woody Allen movie. That’s the nature of it. So you don’t try to serve two masters.

 

[eizarus]

I enjoyed the first one. However, without the novelties of the first one, 2 is gonna have to nail it in the script department to have a chance. (let's face it 3, 4, 5 are gonna be shit).

 

[robotrock]

I will believe it when I see set pics.

Hope the shooting 2/3/4/5 simultaneously thing works out.

 

[Gnome]

So they're actually using a script this time, interesting.

Edit: for real though, he says he hates writing. Why is he writing if he hates it? Sounds like a recipe for a bad script.

 

[Jonnax]

I'm imagining that the film won't have to many ties with the characters of the first one.

They weren't too memorable

 

[Killthee]

About damn time. Can't wait.

 

[Discotheque]

the worthington character shouldn't really matter to the franchise any longer. he was a window to the universe and now that we're acquainted it's time to ditch him.

anyways I'm there day one. corny designs and all that but still he's one of the few carrying the great blockbuster torch. avatar ended up being a tight theater experience.

god knows the superhero movie directors aint doing much of interest with their big ass budgets. setpieces in the sequel should be amazing. planning 4 sequels at once sounds like too much though. hopefully he thinks it through.

 

[chefbags]

I'm imagining that the film won't have to many ties with the characters of the first one.

They weren't too memorable

Well uhh they're all signed up for the sequels so I think they'll be a major part of the movies.

 

[massoluk]

Last film was Dances With Wolf, so next film is either Robin Hood or Waterworld

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

So they're actually using a script this time, interesting.

Edit: for real though, he says he hates writing. Why is he writing if he hates it? Sounds like a recipe for a bad script.

Enjoying writing has nothing to do with being a good writer.

 

[Gnome]

Last film was Dances With Wolf, so next film is either Robin Hood or Waterworld

The Costner Constant.

 

[Shiggy]

To this day, I don't understand why the first movie got so hyped. At least Cameron has got a job after the Brexit debacle again.

Spoiler

see what I did there

 

[robotrock]

Last film was Dances With Wolf, so next film is either Robin Hood or Waterworld

I think one of them is actually going to be Waterworld

 

[Aaron Strife]

I didn't know they made five Fern Gully movies.

I know there's a second. Does Jake Sully visit a Na'vi amusement park?

 

[Jonnax]

Well uhh they're all signed up for the sequels so I think they'll be a major part of the movies.

Oh, well I guess that'll be interesting.

Hopefully it doesn't fall into that sequel trope of being a beat-by-beat retred of the first movie.

 

[T-0800]

Hard to doubt him but 2,3,4 and 5. Really?

 

[robotrock]

Hard to doubt him but 2,3,4 and 5. Really?

it was only 2, 3, and 4 for a while but I honestly believe the decision to make a fifth only happened because four isn't as nice of a number as five

 

[Gnome]

Enjoying writing has nothing to do with being a good writer.

While your statement is true in general, I'm not willing to say it applies too heavily in Cameron's case. The man's writing is okay to good but never great or even noteworthy in my opinion.

 

[T-0800]

I'd much prefer a True Lies 2.

 

[empyrean]

Isn't the second one due out late next year? They haven't started filming yet?

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

it was only 2, 3, and 4 for a while but I honestly believe the decision to make a fifth only happened because four isn't as nice of a number as five

Before that it was just 2 and 3, too. Funny thing is, every two times he delayed Avatar 2 he added a sequel.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

While your statement is true in general, I'm not willing to say it applies too heavily in Cameron's case. The man's writing is okay to good but never great or even noteworthy in my opinion.

Dude is a better screenwriter than 95% of professional screenwriters.

He has the occasional hammy line, but is a master craftsman when it comes to writing a script. His script for Aliens should be a study case in how to pace a film. His character work is also exemplary. The Abyss is a testament to that. Never mind characters like Sarah Connor and Ripley - who only really came into her own as a fleshed out character under Cameron.

 

[robertsan21]

Dude is a better screenwriter than 95% of professional screenwriters.

He has the occasional hammy line, but is a master craftsman when it comes to writing a script. His script for Aliens should be a study case in how to pace a film. His character work is also exemplary. The Abyss is a testament to that. Never mind characters like Sarah Connor and Ripley - who only really came into her own as a fleshed out character under Cameron.

.

These films will hopefully be awesome like the first one. Hopefully sam will be kicked out of the films for new stories

 

[Gnome]

Dude is a better screenwriter than 95% of professional screenwriters.

He has the occasional hammy line, but is a master craftsman when it comes to writing a script. His script for Aliens should be a study case in how to pace a film. His character work is also exemplary. The Abyss is a testament to that. Never mind characters like Sarah Connor and Ripley - who only really came into her own as a fleshed out character under Cameron.

I've not seen The Abyss and haven't seen Aliens or Terminator in a long time. Maybe you're right, I don't really want to get into it too much though.

 

[robotrock]

I went to the cinema the other day to catch Silence, and before it started, there was a trailer for this new Sam Worthington movie that looked absolutely horrendous. It's called The Shack.

Was shocked to see this, as I have not seen him in anything in a long while.

 

[Theorry]

This sequel is taking way to long and i have the feeling most people moved on already.
I mean there was hype for the first one because of the very good 3D stuff. But yeah its now 8 years later.

 

[robotrock]

This sequel is taking way to long and i have the feeling most people moved on already.
I mean there was hype for the first one because of the very good 3D stuff. But yeah its now 8 years later.

It's going to be an incredibly successful movie

 

[SuperEpicMan]

Can't wait to see what he has planned for the sequels.

 

[jb1234]

Dude is a better screenwriter than 95% of professional screenwriters.

He has the occasional hammy line, but is a master craftsman when it comes to writing a script. His script for Aliens should be a study case in how to pace a film. His character work is also exemplary. The Abyss is a testament to that. Never mind characters like Sarah Connor and Ripley - who only really came into her own as a fleshed out character under Cameron.

Yeah, I think his fundamental understanding of what each film he writes needs overcomes most of his weaknesses in the scripting department.

 

[Razmos]

Can't wait to see what he has planned for the sequels.

Pocahontas 2: Blue Boogaloo

Its taken him a surprising amount of time to write what is essentially an existing story, IN SPACE.

Maybe there will be more fantastical creatures like the bigger different coloured Rhinos from the first film or the wild purple dogs with an extra pair of legs, so sci-fi

 

[orochi91]

This sequel is taking way to long and i have the feeling most people moved on already.
I mean there was hype for the first one because of the very good 3D stuff. But yeah its now 8 years later.

In all honesty, I don't think any film has done 3D as well as Avatar did, not even close.

This film ushered in that entire 3d craze, but no one has really come close to replicating the technical wizardry that was Avatar.

The sequel is gonna be successful, but perhaps not as much the original.

 

[SuperEpicMan]

Pocahontas 2: Blue Boogaloo

Its taken him a surprising amount of time to write what is essentially an existing story, IN SPACE.

Maybe there will be more fantastical creatures like the bigger different coloured Rhinos from the first film or the wild purple dogs with an extra pair of legs, so sci-fi

I think I get what you are saying, that Avatar was a rehash of dozens of older stories, and it clearly has nothing original to say for itself.

Kinda like your post.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

In all honesty, I don't think any film has done 3D as well as Avatar did, not even close.

This film ushered in that entire 3d craze, but no one has really come close to replicating the technical wizardry that was Avatar.

The sequel is gonna be successful, but perhaps not as much the original.

Hugo has some amazing 3D that I'd put on par with Avatar.

 

[robotrock]

Hugo rocks in 3D. I also enjoyed Gravity's 3D.

 

[SuperEpicMan]

Hugo has some amazing 3D that I'd put on par with Avatar.

I am still sad I never managed to catch Hugo in the cinema. I have heard so many positive impressions on the 3D.

I would also rank Tron: Legacy and Gravity high up near Avatar in terms of 3D experience.

 

[Madao]

i want one of those sequels to be secretly a Terminator sequel.

 

[Razmos]

I think I get what you are saying, that Avatar was a rehash of dozens of older stories, and it clearly has nothing original to say for itself.

Kinda like your post.

Hey I'm not trying to make money off my post, it doesn't need to be original.

It was only good for the 3D.

 

[Einchy]

These movies are starting to feel like vaporware.

 

[InsaneTiger]

It's been like 8 years, I think that was generated from the first movie has faded. I don't know if it will have the same turn out it did.

 

[liquidtmd]

His career is basically an impressive list of achievements as to why you should never discount or bet against Cameron, and yet here I am thinking trying to plan and prep an Avatar 2, 3, 4 and 5 is fucking insanity with the world and particularly the characters he created in 1 just not interesting to warrant expansion.

But it will make bank. I just wish it wasn't tying up his creative talents for the next half decade or so.

 

[robotrock]

These movies are starting to feel like vaporware.

Starting?

 

[Melon Husk]

Isn't the second one due out late next year? They haven't started filming yet?

But he has a script - now it's just a matter of rendering it.

 

[KingofGourds]

Can't wait for these. James Cameron pretty much brings something new to the table every single time he makes a movie, dragging the tech of filmmaking and cinema kicking and screaming with him.

Debating the "necessity" of Avatar sequels is moot as far as I'm concerned: They're coming, and by this point it's obvious that they're going to make the big players in the filmmaking community sit up and take notes.

Also, anyone saying Cameron is a bad screenwriter doesn't know what they're talking about, frankly. The guy writes to his audience, and he wields cheesy, hammy lines, stock characterisation or broad narrative cliches like Thor's hammer to put asses in seats.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Hugo rocks in 3D. I also enjoyed Gravity's 3D.

Yeah Gravity has some excellent 3D.

 

[Lifejumper]

So december 2018 is still on the table?

 

[Fancyarcher]

I believe it when I see it. This isn't the first time Cameron has announced he was ready to shoot Avatar 2 or any of the sequels.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

So december 2018 is still on the table?

Don't count on it.

 

[Lifejumper]

Don't count on it.

Yeah. Thought so.

 

[br3wnor]

Can't believe he's making 4 sequels. It'll be interesting to see how this all translates to the box office but the original Avatar was the 3D perfect storm and is a huge reason for its numbers. Anyone I talked to when it came out was interested in the visual effects and the 3D, that was the main driving force of ppl seeing it.

Since 3D has pretty much fizzled out I don't see how there will be thirst for FOUR MORE of these movies. My love for Cameron will get me into the theater for the first sequel but gonna need one hell of an experience to justify me seeing the rest of them.

His career is basically an impressive list of achievements as to why you should never discount or bet against Cameron, and yet here I am thinking trying to plan and prep an Avatar 2, 3, 4 and 5 is fucking insanity with the world and particularly the characters he created in 1 just not interesting to warrant expansion.

But it will make bank. I just wish it wasn't tying up his creative talents for the next half decade or so.

Good point, I won't be shocked if I'm completely wrong and all these movies gross a billion+ each. But defintiely wish he could spread his time out on other projects instead of these 4 movies all in the same universe.

 

[Koodo]

It's tragic to think his creativity will be locked into Avatar for 4 more sequels rather than being used in new projects, regardless of how good these films may end up being.

RIP Battle Angel.