With the second installment of James Cameron’s Avatar trilogy about to debut in December, it’s time to reflect on what a spectacular feat his 2009 masterpiece was. The picture was probably ahead of its time, and despite sometimes varied reviews, Avatar remains one of the most-watched and most-debated films of all time, generating a visual grandeur that is beyond most people’s comprehension.
Cameroon has long been recognized for its imaginative and demanding directors. To craft the ultimate blockbuster, his creative imagination could go to any extent, from creating gigantic bespoke tanks for his overlooked masterpiece Abyss to threatening to dismiss A-list actors for taking toilet breaks.
Five Avatar-related behind-the-scenes facts
1) One of the primary motivations for Cameron’s involvement in the project was Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings, particularly Gollum.
Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy was one of the most recognizable film series of all time. When Cameron saw the technological expertise of the technical team, particularly the computer image of Gollum, the experienced filmmaker decided to press through with his dream project.
Cameron remarked in an interview with EW:
“Consider what Peter Jackson accomplished with Gollum and then with King Kong. And Davy Jones [from Pirates of the Caribbean] – all of these photo-realistic, totally CG figures in a photo-realistic universe. Many people are probably unaware that many of the forest shots in King Kong were CG. They did a lot with miniatures at first, but towards the end, they were recreating a lot of the jungles in computer graphics.”
2) Avatar’s cuisine was entirely plant-based.
Aside from the controversy about whether the film and, in particular, the filmmaker was successful in conveying the message, Avatar was predicated on the exploitation of natural resources. Cameron is a firm believer in the vegan diet, which he imposed on the film’s set, which offered exclusively plant-based cuisine to the performers.
3) Cameroon fastened to the wall every phone that went off during the filming.
Cameron is well-known for his explosive temper on stage. Cameron fastened cell phones to the wall whenever they went off during the shooting, according to insiders. It seemed to be a crazy rumor until the film’s actor, Sam Worthington, confirmed it in an interview.
Check out brand-new character posters for #AvatarTheWayOfWater.
Experience it in theaters December 16 and get tickets now: https://t.co/9NiFEIpZTE pic.twitter.com/gDEdYUGqRG
— Avatar (@officialavatar) November 21, 2022
4) Paul Frommer invented a whole new language for Avatar.
Linguist Paul Frommer was entrusted with developing a new language for the film and its vivid setting. Frommer supposedly began designing the language from scratch in order to create something that would relate with viewers while capturing the spirit of Na’vi.
5) The Na’vi’s design was allegedly inspired by a dream Cameron’s mother experienced.
The Na’vi have a beautiful appearance that is unlike anything else seen. The style was purportedly inspired by James Cameron’s mother’s dream. Because of the mystical character of the visual medium, dreams and film have long been intertwined. Cameron verified this in an interview, adding that his mother saw “a twelve-foot-tall blue lady” in her dream. Cameron was influenced by this to develop the Na’vi’s appearance. Avatar: The Way of Water will be released worldwide on December 16, 2022.