James Cameron's Avatar - news, rumors, castings..

[devilshalo]

Another sorta discussed movie that I guess never had its own thread..

Lang, Rodriguez armed for 'Avatar'
Cameron film begins production
By ANNE THOMPSON

James Cameron has added two cast members to "Avatar." Stephen Lang and Michelle Rodriguez will join Australian actor Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Wes Studi and CCH Pounder in the performance-capture pic, which is in production in Los Angeles. In October, the company will move to Wellington, New Zealand, close to Peter Jackson's Weta Digital, which is supervising the film's visual effects.

Lang plays a seasoned Marine Corps colonel who travels to the faraway planet Pandora to take charge of its troops. Lang is known for his New York theater roles in "A Few Good Men," "Defiance" and "Death of a Salesman." He'll wrap up 101 performances at the Roundabout Theater in his sold-out one-man show "Beyond Glory" on Aug. 19 and then take on the "Avatar" role.

Lang first met Cameron 20 years ago for a role in "Aliens" he didn't get. But Cameron never forgot him.

Rodriguez plays an ex-Marine pilot. "Michelle Rodriguez is someone I've wanted to work with since I saw 'Girlfight' seven years ago," said Cameron. Film is a $190 million hybrid of live action and animation. Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment team has researched a mix of live-action cinematography and virtual photorealistic production techniques which will feature virtual characters. Thirty-one days of live-action photography will begin on Weta soundstages in October.

Pic will be produced by Cameron and Jon Landau for Lightstorm. Mauro Fiore ("Training Day," "The Island," "Kingdom") has been hired as d.p.

"Avatar," which will be filmed in a new digital 3-D format, is skedded to debut on May 22, 2009.

[RyoHazuki]

Ugh... Michelle Rodriguez.

Lemme guess? She's playing the tough one?

[RichC2]

Man this is all sorts of setup for failure. Prove me wrong James, prove me wrong.

[clemente]

Until James Cameron proves me wrong, I keep the faith.

[GoldenJCJ]

Originally Posted by RyoHazuki

Ugh... Michelle Rodriguez.

Lemme guess? She's playing the tough one?

I guess Jenette Goldstein is getting too old.

and I hate CCH Pounder with a passion. Every time I see her ugly mug on screen I want to punch a hole through my TV.

[Defiant1]

Originally Posted by RichC2

Man this is all sorts of setup for failure. Prove me wrong James, prove me wrong.

A lot of people said the same thing about his last movie. Look what happened there.

[dhmac]

Originally Posted by clemente

Until James Cameron proves me wrong, I keep the faith.

Until James Cameron makes another movie again (how long has it been now, 10 whole years?), my faith keeps wavering.


(And, no, the underwater documentaries don't really count!)

[RichC2]

Originally Posted by Defiant1

A lot of people said the same thing about his last movie. Look what happened there.

I, sadly, don't remember the hype behind Titanic (I was 14 and coulda cared less).

[dstrauss]

I can't wait for this movie. The script treatment was fantastic, and I'm sure it's changed since I read it.

[NoirFan]

From Variety:

Fox execs are sweating as Cameron again pushes the frontiers of f/x and motion picture technology with the CG/motion-capture/live-action 3-D "Avatar." The filmmaker worked on advance R&D for six years -- incredibly, studio execs say they plowed only $10 million into that, gambling that Cameron's new process would even work.

The director, working with VFX whiz Rob Legato, showed the studio advance pre-viz footage demonstrating how high-def video cameras could track actors moving inside a virtual CG set. Initially budgeted at $200 million, the sci-fi epic was pushed back from May to December 2009 to give the director more time to combine in the computer all necessary elements: 3-D motion-capture data of the actors on bare sets, CG environments, and final animation of the human avatars (Sam Worthington and Sigourney Weaver) and alien characters (Teresa Saldana, CCH Pounder). The photo-real digital film is 20% live-action with humans shot on location and 80% live-action mixed with CG elements. "It's a CG film with live-action in it," Legato says.

Sources close to the studio admit there was a time when it was terrified that Cameron's process wouldn't work. Execs relaxed a tad when they got to see finished footage. Giving Cameron and Weta Digital in New Zealand (where substantial rebates make everything cheaper) extra post-production time made sense.

The later release date leaves exhibitors time to add more 3-D screens. The movie could go out on a three-tiered basis: high-ticket super-charged Imax 3-D, regular 3-D and old-fashioned 2-D -- unless Cameron gets his way and refuses to show the movie on 2-D. That's a tough one, as 3-D capability exists in only about 1,000 North American screens and a few hundred overseas.

More are scheduled to be built in the next year, but several senior execs at rival studios predict Cameron will persuade Fox to push the movie back, because the prospect of releasing a $300 million movie on 1,500 screens worldwide is too nerve-wracking.

Fox is sharing the negative cost with several hedge funds to protect its downside. With 14 months to go, the final budget is hard to estimate, depending on whether Cameron does a lot of last-minute tweaking, and the film's running time, which should wind up at about 2½ hours.

ESTIMATED COST: $250 million to $300 million. Cameron knows how to play to the mainstream -- fanboys, soccer moms, trailer park dads, city folk and overseas auds. His goal is to change motion pictures as we know them. Fox could score another global commercial blockbuster.

Originally Posted by devilshalo

Film is a $190 million hybrid of live action and animation. "Avatar," which will be filmed in a new digital 3-D format, is skedded to debut on May 22, 2009.

Well, so much for either one of those things happening.

[Suprmallet]

Originally Posted by RichC2

I, sadly, don't remember the hype behind Titanic (I was 14 and coulda cared less).

Actually, there wasn't hype. It was all negative press. I remember reading several articles about how Cameron wasn't just sinking a boat, he was sinking a studio. No one expected the film to make what it did. It didn't have the pre-release hype The Dark Knight did, that's for sure.

Given that I can't think of a single bad James Cameron movie (I even enjoyed Piranha 2: The Spawning), I'm eagerly awaiting this.

[Jericho]

Originally Posted by Suprmallet

Actually, there wasn't hype. It was all negative press. I remember reading several articles about how Cameron wasn't just sinking a boat, he was sinking a studio. No one expected the film to make what it did. It didn't have the pre-release hype The Dark Knight did, that's for sure.

Given that I can't think of a single bad James Cameron movie (I even enjoyed Piranha 2: The Spawning), I'm eagerly awaiting this.

And to clarify, he had production delays and escalating costs that forced the release date to change from summer to winter. I think the final budget ran close to $200 million, and that's in 1997 dollars.

[Suprmallet]

And he pitched in his own money to finish it because the studios were threatening to shut him down. IIRC, it started at Fox, and when he went over budget, he got Paramount to agree to pick up the slack in return for domestic distribution rights, and then when he went over budget again, he put his own money in. Every indicator said that Titanic was going to be the biggest flop since Heaven's Gate. Just proves how talented of a filmmaker he is.

Heck, even with Celine "The Antichrist" Dion on the soundtrack, I still enjoyed the movie. It takes serious talent to make me enjoy anything that harpy is involved in.

[RyoHazuki]

I had forgotten Michelle Rodriguez was in this until I read my post. I hope she's a cg alien or something.

[Shannon Nutt]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Avatar is awesome...because, you know, James only makes 1 movie about every 10 years. At this pace, it could be his last one.

[KillerCannibal]

I loathed Titanic, but I have some faith that Cameron is going to make this a phenomenal film. I'm so-so on the casting (Rodriguez, Joel David Moore) but I think if the end product is solid enough that won't be much of an issue. I can't believe the budget has ballooned up to $250-300m. That's insane. It's going to need a lot of repeat viewings to turn a profit.

[Nick Martin]

Originally Posted by Suprmallet

Heck, even with Celine "The Antichrist" Dion on the soundtrack, I still enjoyed the movie. It takes serious talent to make me enjoy anything that harpy is involved in.

What you said is proof that so many people equate ALL the music for that film with that lanky bitch.

Her only involvement in the music was singing that song, which played over a portion of the end credits. She didn't write it, produce it, nothing else, yet many people seem to think she wrote not only the song, but the score as well. (listen to the idiots on Entertainment Tonight who fuel that misconception every time they mention Titanic in some way or another) Whenever you hear singing throughout the score, people think its Celine, despite not sounding like her at all. That's because it's not. Titanic's true musical 'voice' was a Norwegian singer named Sissel, but Celine stole her thunder too.

That is a part of why I hate her so much. She effectively took the actual composer's thunder and created a backlash toward the film all her own, and all she did was sing a fucking song that got too much radio play.

I'm glad that Cameron and Horner have re-teamed for this film Avatar, making it their third. There will be singing, but in an alien language Cameron created that Horner integrated into the score (a score he's been recording bit by bit throughout the film's production) No Celine this time.

[Zen Peckinpah]

I've come to appreciate Titanic in later years. I wouldn't own it, but though the love story is a cumbersome elephant in the room DiCaprio and Winslet have grown immensely as actors, and the scenes with the boat sinking and Bill Paxton are there for us to remember the man behind both Terminators, Aliens, The Abyss, and True Lies was still the director. However, Celine Dion is still responsible for the most grating film-specific song of all time. That will never change.

As for Avatar, it's part of my most anticipated '09 releases, along with Watchmen and Inglorious Bastards. It's his first sci-fi film since T2 and his first intergalactic one since Aliens, and I have a feeling if this gets a PG-13 it'll be more like Dark Knight and push the limits of the rating.

[TomOpus]

Originally Posted by Zen Peckinpah

DiCaprio and Winslet have grown immensely as actors

IMO, way before Titanic, both were pretty damn good actors. Just look at "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" and "Heavenly Creatures"... but I know what you're saying

VERY eagerly awaiting this movie. Can't wait!





And I'm still keeping the faith for "True Lies 2"

[NoirFan]

Originally Posted by Nick Martin

There will be singing, but in an alien language Cameron created that Horner integrated into the score

That's.....different.

[troystiffler]

Originally Posted by RichC2

I, sadly, don't remember the hype behind Titanic (I was 14 and coulda cared less).

I was around the same age. It was actually released on my birthday and I wanted to see Tomorrow Never Dies instead of Titanic.

It made $20mil-or-so the first weekend (#2 after TND). There never was that much hype. The local small theater sold out on the weekends. But I remember seeing it after a few months and the theater was almost empty. And the movie stayed afloat (get it?) for like four-or-six months. And then "Lost in Space" beat it out after a few months.

With people so aware of movies now, I don't know if that could ever happen again. We get bombarded with 'hype' from pretty much every big release. People will scurry to see a big movie on it's first weekend and then forget about it. People kind of casually went to see Titanic. It almost had the release structure of the limited release movies that eventually go wide and become big (kind of like My Big Fat Greek Wedding).

I personally enjoy it more now than I did in 1998. The final shot gets to me every time.

James Cameron is my secret hero. He seems to know his stuff. I can assume that Avatar will be a good one. I'm anxious to see how he shows us this 'gigantic' environment. I also like that he's pushing the pro-environment stuff. It'll be interesting to see if we're hit with messages similar to Wall-E or how it works out.

[Suprmallet]

Originally Posted by Nick Martin

What you said is proof that so many people equate ALL the music for that film with that lanky bitch.

Her only involvement in the music was singing that song, which played over a portion of the end credits. She didn't write it, produce it, nothing else, yet many people seem to think she wrote not only the song, but the score as well. (listen to the idiots on Entertainment Tonight who fuel that misconception every time they mention Titanic in some way or another) Whenever you hear singing throughout the score, people think its Celine, despite not sounding like her at all. That's because it's not. Titanic's true musical 'voice' was a Norwegian singer named Sissel, but Celine stole her thunder too.

That is a part of why I hate her so much. She effectively took the actual composer's thunder and created a backlash toward the film all her own, and all she did was sing a fucking song that got too much radio play.

I'm glad that Cameron and Horner have re-teamed for this film Avatar, making it their third. There will be singing, but in an alien language Cameron created that Horner integrated into the score (a score he's been recording bit by bit throughout the film's production) No Celine this time.

I agree that Celine Dion is someone to despise for many reasons, but I do want to let you know that I am more than aware that all she did was sing. Never in a million years would I think she wrote the score.

[Nick Martin]

Unfortunately many people don't think that way. Mention Titanic to any random person and more than likely the first thing that they will say has to do with disliking that song.

I think a large part of the 'love to hate Titanic' mentality, beyond the more scrutinizing members of discussion boards (where script logic, dialogue delivery and other aspects are discussed in detail) is that one song. It was literally everywhere, and despite loving the two themes that make up the song, hearing it on the radio makes me cringe like anyone else.

Titanic may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I doubt anyone can deny Jim Cameron's achievements made with that film, at least on a technical level. It's a very well made film, and hopefully that will be enough for people to give him the benefit of the doubt with Avatar.

Besides, who wouldn't want to see him and Weaver team up again?

[Mordred]

Originally Posted by Nick Martin

Besides, who wouldn't want to see him and Weaver team up again?

This bitch wouldn't:

Spoiler:

[The Nature Boy]

I haven't seen a script(mainly because I want a pure experience), but I have friends involved with post who are absolutely stoked and telling me to be prepared to be blown away. I have to assume with 10 years on the sidelines, they are at least getting the script right, so this sounds like something really special. Can not wait.