Tag: james cameron

Avatar: The Way of Water Disney+ Hotstar OTT Release Date in India Set for June 7

Avatar: The Way of Water is set to release June 7 on Disney+, Disney+ Hotstar, and Max (wherever available). The much-anticipated sci-fi sequel from James Cameron, transporting you back to the exotic lands of Pandora, will arrive a whopping 173 days after its theatrical release on December 16 worldwide. That’s almost a half-year gap between release to streaming — Disney had implemented a minimum 45-day window before movies become available on its streaming platform, Disney+. This time, the film will also be available to stream on HBO Max — soon to be ‘Max’ on May 26 — owing to an unusual streaming agreement production company 20th Century Fox made with Warner Bros.

In India — over on Disney+ Hotstar — Avatar 2 will be up for streaming in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada. Unlike the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, there is no mention of an IMAX Enhanced version, which would expand the aspect ratio, resulting in more picture on screen. That said, a 4K Ultra-HD version with Dolby Vision/ Atmos can be purchased as VOD on Apple TV, which also includes Spanish subtitles. The movie clocks in at 3 hours and 12 minutes, and currently takes the no. 3 position among the highest-grossing movies of all time, besting Cameron’s own 1997 disaster romance film, Titanic. Avatar 2 made $2.319 billion (about Rs. 19,064 crore) at the worldwide box office.

It would also seem strange for a major release as such to premiere on two streaming platforms at the same time. This has to do with the timing of the deal 20th Century Studios struck with Warner Bros. The former — under the title ‘20th Century Fox‘ — did not have a streaming platform or owner, and therefore, signed a contract to collectively stream its movies exclusively on HBO Max and Disney’s services such as Disney+ and Hulu. Even now that the studio is owned by Disney, it has to honour its deal with WB for Avatar 2 — or rather, for half of the studio’s titles through the 2022 release year.

Set 15 years after the events of the first film, Avatar: The Way of Water sees Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) as parents to five kids, thriving in the lush forests of the moon planet Pandora. A resurrected Recombinant Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and other ‘Sky People’ bring a new challenge for the family, who is forced to flee and seek help from the shoreline-dwelling Metkayina clan, who teach them the ways of the water and help prepare for the upcoming battle. The film won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects, in addition to being nominated in the Best Picture category. Cameron also previously alluded to introducing the fire culture of natives in Avatar 3.

Avatar: The Way of Water is out June 7 on Disney+, Disney+ Hotstar, and HBO Max wherever available. In India, the film will be available in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada.

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Avatar 3, Avatar 4 Scenes Already Shot to Avoid ‘Stranger Things Effect,’ James Cameron Reveals

As Avatar: The Way of Water rides waves across theatres, director James Cameron has now coined a new phrase called “the Stranger Things effect.” Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the filmmaker claimed that certain footage for Avatar 3 and Avatar 4 was shot in tandem with the second Avatar film, in order to avoid the child actors from inevitably growing up, and showing signs of ageing. The multi-year project had to be covered in a single production, “Otherwise, you get — and I love Stranger Things — but you get the Stranger Things effect where they’re supposed to still be in high school [but] they look like they’re 27,” Cameron said.

While it was easy for leads Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña to slip into their roles whenever, it never stopped the child actors’ growth spurts. Jack Champion, who portrays Miles “Spider” Socorro, the adoptive human child of Jake Sully and Neytiri, was 14 when Avatar: The Way of Water began filming. “We shot with Jack when he was 14 and 15, almost up to 16. So we were shooting him over an 18-month period,” Cameron told EW. The actor is now an adult, he turned 18 in November. Production would continuously switch between filming scenes for The Way of Water, the entirety of Avatar 3, and act one of Avatar 4.

Avatar: The Way of Water Review: James Cameron Gives Us the Biggest ‘Video Game Movie’ Ever

Sure, performance capture could turn returning star Sigourney Weaver into a teenager, Kiri, but there are limitations to performance capture VFX. Trinity Jo-Li Bliss plays Tukt, the youngest child of Jake and Neytiri, and was cast in Avatar 2 when she was about seven years old. She’s now 13. Similarly, Bailey Bass, 19, who played the shoreline Metkayina clan’s Tsireya was about 12 when she auditioned for the sequel. While not as prominent, the effects of ageing are definitely noticeable in Netflix’s Stranger Things, where the male leads’ voices got deeper with each season. Cameron wanted to avoid that, and built on the Pandoran arc as quickly as possible, whilst leaving out a few unanswered questions at the end of each entry. “You can call it sequel bait, but I’m not trying to justify a sequel,” Cameron said in the interview. “We’ve already shot the other d–n movie. I don’t have to sell it to anybody.”

Speaking to Variety earlier this year, Avatar: The Way of Water producer Jon Landau briefly touched upon the filming process for the follow-ups in the franchise, noting that there were “logistical reasons” for the steps they took. And now we know why — to prevent the “Stranger Things effect”. Cameron also made bold claims about his Avatar universe, stating that he was even prepared to end the franchise with a trilogy if Avatar 2 underperformed.

In its first week, Avatar: The Way of Water has now surpassed the $600 million (about Rs. 5,052 crore) mark at the global box office. While its production budget hasn’t been explicitly mentioned, Cameron suggested that the film has to become “the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history, to break even.”

The notion of filming three films back-to-back never seemed daunting to Saldaña, at least from a plot and thematic standpoint. “We did read-throughs, we discussed extensively where we were, we defined those beats that distinguished [Avatar] 2 from 3,” she told EW. “So from where I was standing, I never felt that it was uncomfortable or anything, but that just has to do with the amount of time that we took in preparation for this. Jim makes you a part of the whole process and hears you. Every need that you have, he takes great attention to that detail and tries to the best of his ability to accommodate and incorporate your input.”

Avatar: The Way of Water is now playing in theatres in India, in English, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu. Avatar 3 is slated to release in December 2024, followed by Avatar 4 in December 2026.

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Avatar: The Way of Water Box Office Swims Past $600 Million in a Week

Avatar: The Way of Water has now grossed $609.7 million (about Rs. 5,052 crore) at the worldwide box office. This represents commercial figures for the new Avatar movie through Thursday, reflecting strong mid-week play, following its sizeable $435 million (about Rs. 3,604 crore) collected during the opening weekend. Roughly $427 million (about Rs. 3,540 crore) has been collected from markets outside the US, including India and the all-too-rare biggest market for Hollywood since the COVID-19 pandemic, China. Within the US and Canada, James Cameron’s hotly-anticipated sequel has earned a total of $183 million (about Rs. 1,516 crore).

According to Deadline, the top 10 markets for Avatar 2 from outside the US were led by China, which earned $70.5 million (about Rs. 584 crore), with France adding $37 million (about Rs. 306 crore) to the bag. Avatar: The Way of Water performed fairly well in Korea too, adding $32.1 million (about Rs. 266 crore) to the collection. Meanwhile, Disney India announced that the film managed to pull Rs. 235 crore (about $28.3 million) in the country. Coming back to Europe, German theatres drew $26.1 million (about Rs. 216 crore) in ticket sales, while the UK poured in $21.6 million (about Rs. 179 crore).

Avatar: The Way of Water Review: James Cameron Gives Us the Biggest ‘Video Game Movie’ Ever

Beyond that, we have Brazil, where Avatar 2 has grossed $12.6 million (about Rs. 104 crore), which was slightly topped by Italy with $13.8 million (about Rs. 114 crore). Mexico has contributed $19.4 million (about Rs. 161 crore) so far, whereas Australia did Pandora business worth $15.8 million (about Rs. 131 crore).

It’s in the weeks to come when Avatar 2’s strength will be fully tested, based on how many seats it’s able to fill on a recurring basis. The original 2009 Avatar managed to collect merely $242 million (about Rs. 2,004 crore) at the worldwide box office during its opening weekend, but maintained enough hype over the months to come, to become the biggest movie of all time. Neither Disney nor 20th Century Studios have revealed the production budget for Avatar: The Way of Water, but reports suggest that it sits at around $400 million (about Rs. 3,313 crore).

In order to break even, the film has to become “the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history,” Cameron said earlier. (That’s because production budgets don’t account for marketing spends.)

For what it’s worth, Cameron has experience getting there. His 1997 disaster romance film Titanic, and J.J. Abrams’ soft reboot Star Wars: The Force Awakens have both grossed over $2 billion (roughly Rs. 16,500 crore) apiece. The hefty runtime of Avatar: The Way of Water, clocking in at 3 hours and 12 minutes, is also said to pose a challenge in driving people to theatres. Though that didn’t stop Titanic.

Avatar: The Way of Water is now playing in theatres in India, in English, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu.

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Avatar: The Way of Water Has Finished Post-Production, Just Three Weeks Ahead of Release

Avatar: The Way of Water is finally complete, after six long years. Avatar 2 producer Jon Landau, who also worked on the original 2009 film, confirmed via Twitter that the “final mix and mastering” for the sequel had just been accomplished. The post-production completion comes merely three weeks ahead of the second Avatar film’s global release on December 16, including in China. Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water) reacted to the news, calling Avatar 2 a “staggering achievement” that is “choke-full of majestic vistas and emotions.” It’s clear the director is among the first to see the film, which also makes this the first official review for Avatar: The Way of Water. If you can call it that.

In addition to Avatar, Landau also collaborated with director James Cameron on 1997’s Titanic, both of which went on to become the highest-grossing films of all time. Released 13 years ago, Avatar broke new ground in Hollywood with its stunning VFX, welcoming audiences to the immersive world of Pandora. The film grossed $2.9 billion (about Rs. 23,600 crore) — with the recent re-release — and won three Academy Awards for Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects, and Best Cinematography. Evidently, its sequel Avatar: The Way of Water has a lot to live up to, with even Cameron raising concerns regarding profit.

Speaking to GQ Magazine, earlier this week, he noted that the film was very expensive to make and that it represented “the worst business case in movie history.” In order for it to be profitable, he said, “you have to be the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history. That’s your threshold. That’s your break even.” The director also confirmed previously that he was prepared to end the Avatar franchise with a trilogy, in case The Way of Water underperforms. Filming for Avatar 3 — reportedly subtitled The Seed Bearer — finished with the main cast in November 2018. In an interview with Variety, producer Landau noted that the first act of Avatar 4 had already been shot as well.

Advance ticket bookings for Cameron’s hotly-anticipated sequel went live in India, earlier this week, across BookMyShow and Paytm and the official websites of major cinemas. Disney-owned 20th Century Studios also claims that Avatar: The Way of Water will witness 24 hours of shows running at select theatres, with first showings starting at 12am midnight onwards. The studio also dropped a final Avatar 2 trailer ahead of release, which saw Jake Sully’s (Sam Worthington) family forming an alliance with the coastal Metkayina clan, and connecting with the waterborne beings, for traversal.

The sequel is set more than a decade after the original film and brings back familiar faces including Zoe Saldaña as wife Neytiri, Sigourney Weaver as Kiri, Dileep Rao, Stephen Lang, and CCH Pounder. New additions to Avatar: The Way of Water include Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Michelle Yeoh, Jemaine Clement, Oona Chaplin, Vin Diesel, and CJ Jones.

Avatar: The Way of Water releases December 16 in theatres worldwide. In India, the film gets additional dubs in Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu.

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James Cameron says he slammed Fox exec who ‘flipped out’ over ‘Avatar’ runtime

James Cameron had some stern words for one particular movie exec who took issue with the controversial runtime of his 2009 blockbuster “Avatar.”

The multi-Oscar-winning filmmaker, 68, recalled a particular conversation that took place with a Fox executive who “begged” him to make the 162-minute epic shorter.

Speaking to GQ ahead of the highly-anticipated sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water” release, Cameron said he told the boss to “get the f– out my office” when he was told to cut his record-breaking film down to a shorter runtime.

Cameron said the exec, who “who will go unnamed, because this is a really negative review,” approached him with a “stricken cancer-diagnosis expression” after an early screening of the film.

From left to right, the stars of “Avatar: The Way of Water” Jamie Flatters, Jack Champion, Trinity Bliss, Bailey Bass, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Jon Landau.
Getty Images for Disney

“I said something I’ve never said to anybody else in the business,” Cameron recalled, telling the exec, “‘I think this movie is going to make all the f—ing money. And when it does, it’s going to be too late for you to love the film. The time for you to love the movie is today.’”

He went on, “‘So I’m not asking you to say something that you don’t feel, but just know that I will always know that no matter how complimentary you are about the movie in the future when it makes all the money’—and that’s exactly what I said, in caps, ALL THE MONEY, not some of the money, all the f—ing money. I said, ‘You can’t come back to me and compliment the film or chum along and say, “Look what we did together.”‘ You won’t be able to do that.’”

“At that point, that particular studio executive flipped out and went bug s— on me. And I told him to get the f— out of my office. And that’s where it was left,” Cameron added.

The film ultimately broke multiple records with its $77,025,481 domestic opening weekend, according to Box Office Mojo. It went on to gross $3 billion worldwide.

Character Neytiri, voiced by Zoe Saldana, is shown in a scene from 2009s “Avatar.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS

Elsewhere in the interview, Cameron revealed that “Avatar: The Way of Water” will have to be the “third or fourth highest-grossing film in history” just to break even.

He admitted the film was “very f–ing” expensive to make, and he has described the project as the “worst business case in movie history.”

Speaking about how the film could be profitable, he told the outlet, “You have to be the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history. That’s your threshold. That’s your break even.”

The franchise’s four sequels have an expected budget of around $1 billion. It hits theaters on Dec. 16, arriving 13 years after the original’s 2009 release. 

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Is ‘Avatar’ Streaming on HBO Max or Netflix?

The year is 2009, you’ve just seen James Cameron’s Avatar on the big screen for the very first time, and you’re convinced it’s the greatest cinematic achievement since King Kong climbed the Empire State Building.

Cut to five years later: You’re watching the movie for the third time, in syndication on FX, while you’re visiting your relatives for Thanksgiving. Suddenly, the storyline feels a little racist. Those blue people look kind of silly. And don’t even get you started on that bizarre, tail intertwining sex scene.

Don’t you worry. You can finally recapture the magic and relive the Avatar glory days, because 20th Century Studios is releasing Avatar in theaters this week, ahead of the release of Avatar: The Way of the Water, which is scheduled to release in theaters on December 16, 2022.

But if you really want to make James Cameron mad, you can also go ahead and rewatch Avatar (2009) in the comfort of your own home. Here’s how.

WHERE TO WATCH AVATAR (2009):

In anticipation of the December release of Avatar 2, aka Avatar: The Way of the Water, the first 2009 Avatar movie will be re-released in theaters nationwide, beginning on Friday, September 23. You can find a theatrical showing of Avatar near you via Fandango.

Because the movie has been out for over a decade, you can also watch Avatar streaming on digital platforms at home. Read on to learn more.

IS JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR AVAILABLE ON STREAMING?

Yes! Avatar is available to buy or rent on digital platforms, including Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Vudu, and more. The price may vary depending on the platform you use to purchase the film, but Avatar costs $3.99 to rent and $14.99 to buy on Amazon Prime.

IS AVATAR STREAMING ON HBO MAX?

No, sorry. Avatar is not streaming on HBO Max at this time. If you want to watch the film at home, you’ll have to buy or rent it on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Vudu, or another digital platform.

IS THE AVATAR MOVIE ON NETFLIX?

No, sorry. Avatar is not streaming on Netflix at this time. If you want to watch the film at home, you’ll have to buy or rent it on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Vudu, or another digital platform. That said, you can watch the Nickelodeon series Avatar on Netflix, and I strongly suggest that you do.

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Avatar 4 & 5: James Cameron May Not Direct Sequels, Here’s Why

James Cameron, who has directed Avatar: The Way of Water and is already working on its sequel Avatar 3, may not return for Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 as he plans to work on “some other things”. In a new interview, the Titanic​ filmmaker said that he might “pass the baton” to another director, if he is unable to fit the proposed sequels into his schedule. Cameron, however, didn’t drop any hints about who is likely to take over as director when he steps aside, which suggests that he may not have a replacement in mind right now.

Cameron told Empire: “The Avatar films themselves are kind of all-consuming. I’ve got some other things I’m developing as well that are exciting. I think eventually over time — I don’t know if that’s after three or after four — I’ll want to pass the baton to a director that I trust to take over, so I can go do some other stuff that I’m also interested in. Or maybe not. I don’t know.”

The veteran director further revealed that while Avatar 3 is a lock, the fate of its sequels will depend on “market forces”. Cameron added that he, either way, hopes to make Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 as they are part of “one big story”.

While nothing is set in stone, I wouldn’t be too surprised if Cameron does indeed go down this route after Avatar 3. He had previously roped in Robert Rodriguez to direct the Rosa Salazar-led cyberpunk actioner Alita: Battle Angel. Cameron initially wanted to adapt that for the big screen, but he was tied up with Avatar: The Way of Water.

Cameron, meanwhile, is awaiting the release of Avatar: The Way of Water, which has garnered a fair deal of attention due to its nearly-wordless teaser. The sequel to 2009’s sci-fi movie Avatar is headlined by Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña who reprise their roles as Jake Sully and Neytiri, respectively, from the first film. The likes of Stephen Lang, Dileep Rao, and Matt Gerald too return as their respective characters from Avatar. Lang and Gerald interestingly feature in Avatar: The Way of Water despite the fact that their characters died in the first film.

Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Michelle Yeoh, Jemaine Clement, Oona Chaplin, Vin Diesel, and CJ Jones are the new additions to the Avatar universe.

Avatar: The Way of Water releases December 16 in India in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada. The second Avatar movie will be followed by three more sequels with Avatar 3, Avatar 4, and Avatar 5 slated for December 2024, December 2026, and December 2028, respectively. Cameron may not return to direct Avatar 4 and Avatar 5.

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