Cameron's Avatar May Be a Revolution

Director recalls drama of earlier films, inspiration for return to the big screen

By Evann Gastaldo, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 19, 2009 11:00 AM CDT

(Newser) – People always seem to want James Cameron to fail, most notably when he embarked upon the $200 million adventure of making Titanic. Suffice it to say that the pressure is on for his $230 million 3-D epic Avatar, marking a return to the big screen after 12 years without a feature film. Cameron and an array of cronies, colleagues, and competitors talk to Dana Goodyear for a wide-ranging New Yorker profile of the famously outspoken director.

Cameron—who says things like, “If you set your goals ridiculously high and it’s a failure, you will fail above everyone else’s success”— wanted to make “a classic guys’ adventure movie,” but Avatar still ended up “a chick flick,” he says, with the requisite Cameron love story at its core. “He likes to write about ’em and he likes to marry ’em," says an old friend of the wed-five-times director. Though fan reactions so far haven’t been entirely promising, Cameron promises Avatar’s special effects, at least, won’t disappoint: “It’s the most complicated stuff anyone’s ever done.” Others seem to agree: “When you look at the history of film, there have been to date two great revolutions—sound and color,” said Jeffrey Katzenberg. “This will be the third great revolution," the definitive work of 3-D.

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (3)]

In this undated photo provided by 20th Century Fox, "Avatar" director James Cameron is shown on the set of the film. (AP Photo/20th Century Fox, Mark Fellman)

In this undated photo released in Tokyo, Japan, by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., film director James Cameron is at work for 3-D sci-fi adventure "Avatar." (AP Photo/Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.)

James Cameron speaks at the 'Avatar' Q&A during Comic-Con 2009 held at San Diego Convention Center on July 23, 2009 in San Diego, California. (Getty Images)

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Creating a universe is daunting. I’m glad Jim is doing it—there are only a few people in the world who are nuts enough to. I do believe Jim will take this further out than anyone’s ever conceived of. - George Lucas

He gets a lot of points for being a techno-brat, but he is a very emotional storyteller. - Steven Spielberg

The words ‘No’ and ‘That’s impossible’ and phrases like ‘That can’t be done’—that’s the stuff that gives him an erection. - Bill Paxton

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Cameron's Avatar May Be a Revolution