James Cameron worked for a year on an Avatar: The Way of Water script, which he ended up throwing away. With an impressive slate of films behind him including Titanic, The Terminator, Aliens, and Avatar, Cameron has four sequels to Avatar in the works.
The Oscar-winning director created the highest-grossing movie of all time with 2009’s Avatar, so the hype for his sequels is high. After 12 years, the overwhelming response to the Avatar 2 trailer proved that fans are eagerly awaiting a return to the franchise, which will pick up where the previous film left off with the same characters played by Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña.
With a massively successful first installment, there is understandably a lot of pressure on Cameron and the crew to deliver a sequel that honors the original while revitalizing the Avatar franchise with a fresh story.
Previously, he spoke about the writing process for Avatar 2, indicating that the writers were eager to contribute new ideas that expanded the franchise. Though Cameron is also looking forward to bringing new ideas to the table, he was dead set on keeping a strong connection to the original film, so much so that he threatened to fire the writers in order to keep them focused, according to the director himself.
In a conversation with The Times UK, Cameron speaks more about his writing process, admitting that he threw away a year’s worth of work because the script wasn’t up to his standard for Avatar.
The writer/director explains that Avatar films should work on three levels, and his discarded Avatar script only managed a portion. See Cameron’s full quote below:
“All films work on different levels. The first is surface, which is character, problem and resolution. The second is thematic. What is the movie trying to say? But ‘Avatar’ also works on a third level, the subconscious. I wrote an entire script for the sequel, read it and realized that it did not get to level three. Boom. Start over. That took a year.”
Cameron’s comments prove his determination to get Avatar 2 right at all costs, as well as his confidence in the film. The director is so certain about the direction of the franchise that he was prepared to throw away a year of work and start from scratch, which bodes well for the final product.
After 12 years, it makes sense that Cameron wanted to ensure that the film perfectly encapsulates everything that Avatar is about. As Cameron describes it, the original film contains all the surface elements that make up a film, as well as thematic ones with its environmental themes.
The subconscious level the filmmaker refers to are likely the parts of the historic film that speak to the human psyche through its combination of its visuals, ambiance, and more. As the Avatar universe expands with four sequels, it will be interesting to see how Cameron’s intensive approach holds up.
Cameron’s passion for the Avatar franchise is palpable, and encouraging for fans looking forward to returning to Avatar after more than a decade. The filmmaker has previously said that Avatar: The Way of Water will be unpredictable and move in unexpected directions, which will hopefully go a long way in renewing the public’s enthusiasm when the film is released.
The original Avatar is set for a theatrical re-release this month, which will likely build more hype for the sequel when it finally arrives in December.
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Andrew Lincoln is the name most commonly associated with AMC’s The Walking Dead. The actor, also known for his work in the film Love Actually, the Strike Back series, and the TV movie Old Vic in Camera: A Christmas Carol has played the main character Rick Grimes for 9 of the 11 seasons of the walker (zombie) apocalypse series.
His absence has left a hole in the popular series that hasn’t quite been filled regardless of which characters took leadership roles or plots that followed his departure. Thankfully Lincoln will be returning to The Walking Dead Universe in a spinoff with Danai Gurira, who also left the show in season 10.
Together they will be reprising their roles as the power couple Rick and Michonne, the king and queen of the apocalypse. While fans are overjoyed to see his return in the currently unnamed Rick and Michonne spinoff, the talented actor hasn’t shied away from the horror genre.
In fact, fans will be able to see Lincoln’s stellar acting capabilities once again in the upcoming Netflix series Cabinet of Curiosities. Created by the brilliant Guillermo del Toro, the eight-episode series might just be the type of show to truly embody the thrills and chills of spooky season.
What role will Andrew Lincoln play in Cabinet of Curiosities?
Don’t believe us? You can watch the official teaser trailer here:
Joining Lincoln in the cast are the likes of talented individuals such as Rupert Grint, Nia Vardalos, Ben Barnes, DJ Qualls and F. Murray Abraham. Just what kind of scary stories does del Toro have in store for his impatient fans and viewers?
Which role do you think Lincoln will be playing, hero, villain, or someone else entirely? Cabinet of Curiosities airs on Netflix October 25.
Will you be watching Cabinet of Curiosities? Share your thoughts about the upcoming series in the comments below!
Say it ain’t so! That’s the general consensus from Outer Banks fans after the show’s lead Chase Stokes took to Instagram to debut a new hairstyle that has left his fans shocked and devastated.
In a new Instagram photo dump, Stokes celebrated 30 with a series of photos including one shot that showcased his new haircut which has left fans speechless. Gone are Stokes’ signature long and wavy locks, as the actor is now rocking a high and tight new do.
Stokes definitely has no problem pulling off the look and still looks amazing, the new style has caught fans by surprise as Stokes has long been known for his long hair which is a signature to John B’s look in Outer Banks.
“You literally just shocked the whole world,” commented one fan summing up the effect Stokes’ new look has had on his fans. “We weren’t ready for that, Chase,” echoed another.
Why did Chase Stokes cut his hair? (2022)
So what exactly inspired Chase Stokes to cut off his signature locks leading to his new look? While Stokes has not directly commented on the new look, it appears his haircut is connected to his upcoming role in the new film Valiant One.
In the film, Stokes is set to star as a member of a group of U.S. Army non-combat tech soldiers who must band together to protect a civilian tech specialist and find a way out of North Korea after their helicopter crashes on the North Korean side of the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
While little is known about Stokes’ character, the fact that he’s a member of the military seems to suggest that Stokes cut his hair for the role.
The new hairstyle Stokes is rocking in the above Instagram photo matches up with the signature high and tight style members of the military have been known to rock.
Chris Evans shares what his first reaction was to seeing Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe in Blonde. Although de Armas has been acting since she was a teenager, it wasn’t until her roles in films like Blade Runner 2049 and Knives Out that the star became well-known to American audiences.
Knives Out saw de Armas take on the role of Marta Cabrera, a nurse who becomes embroiled in a complex murder mystery plot alongside Evans’ nefarious character, Ransom. De Armas later collaborated with Evans again on this summer’s The Gray Man, an action thriller from Netflix in which she played a supporting role.
After a fan-favorite turn in No Time to Die, de Armas is next slated to appear in Blonde, a fictionalized account of the life and death of 1950s icon Marilyn Monroe. The film, which is written and directed by Andrew Dominik, is based on a book of the same name by author Joyce Carol Oates.
The first trailer for Blonde has already shown off de Armas’ impressive transformation into the late starlet, with the actor boasting a noticeable physical transformation and accent.
The NC-17-rated Blonde earned a 14-minute standing ovation at its Venice Film Festival premiere but relatively mixed reviews from critics. Most agreed, however, that de Armas’ performance is particularly impressive.
In a new interview with Variety, Evans recalls his first reaction to seeing de Armas’ camera test as Monroe in Blonde. Speaking more generally, Evans says that he thinks Blonde was “incredibly demanding” for his Knives Out co-star and that he remembers de Armas being very excited about the role. Check out Evans’ full comment below:
“I think this was one of the first opportunities she had to really sink her teeth into something incredibly demanding. I didn’t see one bit of fear; I saw excitement. I remember looking at [her camera test] and saying, ‘OK, that’s Marilyn … where’s your shot? That’s you? Holy s–t! You’re going to win an Oscar for this!’”
Could Ana de Armas Win An Oscar For Playing Marilyn Monroe?
Although de Armas is now a very well-known actor in Hollywood, Blonde marks the actor’s first major transformation for a leading role.
Trailers for the film have already shown off just how immersed de Armas became in the world of Monroe and, as has been seen with a number of films in the past, the Academy Awards does have a penchant for recognizing actors who undergo significant transformations, especially when it comes to embodying iconic historical figures.
While reviews for Blonde may be mixed overall, Evans’ suggestion that de Armas could be a contender for Best Actress is certainly not without precedent.
It remains to be seen how Blonde will fair with general audiences upon its release on Netflix, but if early reviews are any indication, de Armas’ performance alone will be reason enough for many viewers to seek the film out.
Despite glowing reviews for de Armas’ performance, however, Blonde’s graphic subject matter and NC-17 rating could deter at least some audiences. However, it’s unclear if the controversial rating will have any impact on her Oscar chances.
Thankfully, fans of de Armas now have less than a week to wait before Blonde releases on Netflix and they can see whether Evans’ glowing endorsement rings true.