Veil Lifting From 'Avatar'
Thu, July 23, 2009
In an age where everyone must know everything they can about a movie immediately, it can be very difficult to maintain any mystery about a project.
Considering how long James Cameron has been gestating "Avatar," it is amazing how tight he has kept security around the project - especially considering the movie is less than half a year away from hitting theatres.
Well, the veil is being lifted and we can expect to see more very soon.
Here is the official desciption of the movie (due in theaters Dec. 18):
Avatar is the story of an ex-Marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms. As an Avatar, a human mind in an alien body, he finds himself torn between two worlds, in a desperate fight for his own survival and that of the indigenous people.
More than ten years in the making, Avatar marks Cameron's return to feature directing since helming 1997's Titanic, the highest grossing film of all time and winner of eleven Oscars® including Best Picture. WETA Digital, renowned for its work in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and King Kong, will incorporate new intuitive CGI technologies to transform the environments and characters into photorealistic 3D imagery that will transport the audience into the alien world rich with imaginative vistas, creatures and characters.
Written and directed by Cameron, "Avatar" stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver.
A web site featuring some music (and not much else, at this point) has sprung up at www.avatarmovie.com. There are many ways in which one can sign up to receive updates about the movie.
And most significantly, today at Comic-Con, a lucky group of people got to witness 25 minutes of footage.
Luckily for everyone else, a chance to see footage from the movie will arrive Aug. 21, or as Cameron has dubbed it: "Avatar Day."
On that day, Twentieth Century Fox will debut the film's trailer. Even better, select cinemas and IMAX theaters will screen extended footage from the film. The trailer will be launched worldwide, on that day only, in a variety of formats, including: IMAX 3-D; IMAX 2-D; digital 3-D; digital 2-D; 35mm 2-D; and online online. Details on locations and tickets for this are expected to be announced soon.
To complete the "Avatar Day" experience, the trailer for James Cameron's "Avatar: The Game" and Mattel's line of action figures will show up that day as well.
(For those who can't wait, our friends at Screen Rant can describe the footage shown at Comic Con to you. But I have to warn you: it will make waiting until "Avatar Day" just that much more difficult.)
Sean Gerski
The Hollywood Reporter sat down with Cameron yesterday for an interview about the movie. You can find it here.
Reader Comments (7)
This sound very good. I really knew nothing about it till just now. Now you know I have to go read what was said about the footage.
Thanks Sean.
This sounds good. I am excited to see it.
Ok, I'm convinced it is coming out this December. Cameron said it, the website says it, the marketing machine is really starting to begin. I've booked my hotel to travel to the Imax in London to see it on the 19th.
Now I just hope I like it.
There is nothing better then IMAX versions of these types of films. Cameron did an amazing job with Titanic. This film shouldn't be a let down. I will be looking for it around the holidays.
So much hype coming out of Comic Con on this that I've distanced myself to a large degree, and will await the trailer on August 21st before getting too excited.
I know where I need to be on Avatar Day - an Imax theatre!
Oh, and I hope the movie is good for Phil Gee's sake! :)