- Title: USA: James Cameron takes risks with "Avatar"
- Date: 19th December 2009
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 16, 2009) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF THE MANN'S GRAUMAN CHINESE THEATER SIGN ON THEATER VARIOUS OF FANS LINED UP OUTSIDE PREMIERE ARRIVAL LINE AT PREMIERE DIRECTOR JAMES CAMERON BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR JAMES CAMERON ON WHETHER HE IS NERVOUS OR NOT, SAYING: "At this point I am pretty relaxed about i
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- Country: USA
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- Story Text: James Cameron is betting big again that his upcoming science fiction film, "Avatar" will pay off at the box office.
Director James Cameron is betting big...again. The Canadian director is "all in" with his latest movie "Avatar," a sci-fi 3D adventure flick that hits theaters worldwide on Friday (December 18).
It is, by all accounts, one of the most expensive films ever made, with reports of its costs running as high as 400 million dollars (USD).
At the film's Los Angeles premiere on Wednesday (December 16), the 55-year-old Cameron though seemed unfazed by that number or the career risk associated with it.
"At this point I am pretty relaxed about it," explained Cameron. "Because I am done, I don't have any creative decisions to make. We know it plays and people like it, so that is about it."
The official word out of 20th Century Fox, the studio which backed the film, said it cost 237 million to make and another 150 million to market.
Cameron - who proved everyone wrong when "Titanic" went onto become the highest-grossing film of all time with a box office total of 1.8 billion dollar - credited the studio for sticking with him.
"Obviously, Fox had to write a big check for this movie," said Cameron.
"But, they knew that whatever film I do for them next, it would be in this category. That is what I do, that is what I have always done, from the 'Abyss' onward, 'T2,' 'True Lies,' 'Titanic.' These are all huge films. So, they knew that was going to be the case. I think the big thing was getting them over the hump of thinking that main characters that are blue aliens, how is that going to work? Is it going to be real? Is this whole thing going to blow up in our face? There was some nerves around that, I am sure on my part as well, not just them. I never told them that. We just went out and solved all the problems."
Tom Rothman, Chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment, said the studio never had a doubt the film would get made, although they were aware of the risk.
"Taking this kind of a risk on original content, that is a leap," explained Rothman. "Any studio will tell you that. There is no built-in fan base, there is no pre-awareness book, there is no comic book or tv show that it is based on. It is purely and wholly original. Now, that is ultimately the most exciting part, of the venture, but also the riskiest part."
Longtime Reuters entertainment reporter Bob Tourtellotte though likes the film's chances.
"To the notion of risk, here's a movie with no built-in audience," added Tourtellotte. "It stars blue people who have tails, it goes to a planet no one has ever heard of. It is not 'Harry Potter,' it is not 'Batman,' it is not 'Spiderman.' So, there are a lot of questions about are people going to be driven to the box office based on a property that is just in Jim Cameron's imagination. Well, we don't really know and won't know until this Friday. But, again, if you are betting on Jim Cameron and you got a 1.8 billion dollar prize before, you hope that they will."
Avatar, which has had generally positive early reviews, follows a crippled ex-Marine who is chosen to make contact with the forest-dwelling Na'vi who are fighting for survival against a mining operation bent on stripping their planet. It combines dazzling 3D spectacular visual effects with the more familiar movie mix of romance, action and battles between good and evil.
After its recent Golden Globe nominations, there is even an Oscar buzz building for the film.
The real suspense though behind "Avatar" now is whether Cameron's would-be blockbuster is big enough at the box office to pay off the studio's 400 million gamble. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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