New York. The pop-culture landscape in 2009 looked different than it does now. Television programs were mostly watched on TV. Tiktok released the famous song of singer Kesha, but last year only two hits of Marble Cinematic Universe were released.
James Cameron wanted to dominate the multiplexes by showing ‘Avatar’, the science-fiction epic. The film depicts the battle between the Earthlings and the planet’s indigenous peoples to seize the natural resources of the fictional planet Pandora.
Thus, “Avatar” became the most successful film of our time, earning $2.8 billion and winning three Academy Awards. World-renowned director Cameron of Titanic, True Lies and The Terminator joined the production of Avatar’s other series. The second series of the film ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ is ready for release. Big changes have taken place in the world 13 years after the release of Avatar.
Avatar was released in 3D format in 2009 with an aim to surprise the audience. The film is being re-released on Friday to re-introduce the audience. This is a strategy. Hollywood Style is aimed at unsuspecting ticket buyers. Follow up and also to remind them what story was told in the first part.
Director Cameron said in a video interview on Thursday about Avatar, “We have made this film to gain experience on the big screen. You made people smell like roses. You have given people the thrilling experience of horse riding. If you are shooting a beautiful coral reef or an underwater flight scene, hold the scene longer. I want people to go there with the characters and feel themselves.
Calling from his studio in Wellington, New Zealand, director Cameron, 68, talks about how the world has changed since seeing Avatar with new eyes. Here is the edited excerpt of his conversation.
Have you seen the real ‘Avatar’? What was the experience like?
Seeing this, I felt completely happy. A few weeks ago I watched a fully mastered version with the kids. Because they only watched it on streaming or Blu-ray.
‘Oh that movie that our father made,’ he got a chance to see it in a good light. Now the film has got a chance to get public response. Young fans did not get a chance to see the film in theatres. They think they have seen the film but they haven’t. I myself am amazed how beautiful this film has become after mastering it again.
We experienced heat waves in China, northern Europe and the US, and flooding in Pakistan. Eventually we will change and we will die. Avatar isn’t trying to tell you specifically what to do. It tells you to vote, not eat the cheeseburger. This is just a reminder of what we are missing.
Did you see anything in the film that could be changed?
I do not think so. It is such an intense process. When you are editing a film and you have to fight for every frame of the film. I loved the creative decisions made at the time. We have worked long and hard to improve this process. Of course there is nothing scary about it. In the presentation of the face, we can see a bright scene in the new film. It doesn’t let you get bored. I think it’s equally competitive with everything nowadays.
Before making Avatar, were there other things you fought with the studio to put in the film?
At first I thought that we would definitely fight over something. The studio said that if the film were to be shortened, there would be more flights into the screen. The view was retained after it was liked by the audience and our data analysis also said that it was good. At that time I said, what do you know, I had made Titanic. The building we live in now was built with money earned by Titanic. After saying this he thanked me. I guess my job is to protect their investment. When I protect their investment, everything is forgiven.
How has the world film industry changed since the release of ‘Avatar’?
The negatives are obvious. We have felt the rise of streaming platforms as an easy homecoming in the world. Due to the Corona epidemic, even going to the hall had to take a big risk. On a positive note, we have seen a resurgence of the theatrical experience of the movie theater. That’s what the audience wants. We are still about 20 per cent below the pandemic level, but it is slowly returning to normal. Despite not having big films, the audience did not go to the theatres. But Avatar is a film that you have to watch in a cinema hall.
Were you under no pressure to understand that the audience wants a blockbuster film?
I’ve always thrived in that scenario. The danger is that there are always big movies coming and we feel that vibration too. That’s why I suggested that Fox Studios postpone the release of Titanic until Christmas. We were clear that the ground would remain vacant in January and February and we would do well. The same strategy worked in Avatar as well and we are releasing the second series of Avatar in the same slot. Right now we haven’t felt the vibrations because there are no big films.
We have a sense of responsibility to do the best possible work and earn money. But I don’t think any decision I take in the film will be translated artistically. I don’t think I can make a lot of money doing this work. When it’s good, it automatically earns money.
Avatar’s message is important to take care of the environment and natural resources. Does it seem like the world has heard that message so many years after it was released?
I don’t feel guilty that my film didn’t save the world. I certainly wasn’t the only voice at the time and I’m not the only voice to say that people should change. People don’t want to change. We like to waste energy. We like to eat meat and dairy products. Asking people to change their behavior is like asking them to change their religion.
We experienced heat waves in China, northern Europe and the US, and flooding in Pakistan. Eventually we will change and we will die. Avatar isn’t trying to tell you specifically what to do. It tells you to vote, not eat the cheeseburger. This is just a reminder of what we are missing. It helps us to maintain the same childhood mentality to keep the natural world as it is. Hope.
Are you worried that viewers lose the connection between the story or its characters between the original film and the sequel?
I think I could have made a sequel after two years and made it explosive because the audience had no connection with the characters or the direction of the film. My personal experience is, I made a sequel called Aliens seven years after the first film. It was very well received. Seven years after the first film, I made a film called Terminator 2. The second part did better than the first film. The world is moving fast and we are bringing Avatar 2. We got 148 million views in 24 hours till the release of the teaser trailer. We haven’t seen Avatar in a long time. It will definitely be an exciting feeling to watch it after a long gap.
(Interview published in The New York Times by online journalist Vishnu Sharma)