The most successful film in movie history is coming to Blu-ray once more and and this time in an extended version which runs 16 minutes longer than the theatrical release and includes 45 minutes of deleted scenes. Whilst you may think you know the story quite well it contains the original opening that was cut by Cameron’s editors and replaced with the voice over that encapsulated the back story and served to get Sam Worthington‘s character to Pandora quicker.
Recently at the press junket for the Blu-ray release, James Cameron unveiled the new opening to the film which shows an over populated Earth in the 22nd century where city dwellers are bombarded by digital ads and wear masks as protection from the pollution. Were introduced to the fallen Marine Jake Sulley, living in a seedy hotel room and hanging out at bars where he gets embroiled in a fight despite being wheelchair bound to defend the honor of a woman.
Cameron confirmed that he dropped the opening for reasons of pacing so that Sulley meets the Na’vi race sooner.
The guiding principle for me was the movie doesn’t really start until we meet Neytiri, it’s about their relationship and where that relationship takes him. So every minute that we delayed meeting her we looked at with extra scrutiny.
Source: LaTimes
As for a follow up, a new set of sequels are in the works that will be shot back-to-back to take advantage of the production process. Cameron is also working on a novel that will serve to flesh out the worlds of both Pandora and Earth and how their time-lines inter-relate to one another.
The novel’s a big project… I asked myself, ‘If this had been based on a book, what would that book have been?’ It ends the history of Earth. All the context and then everything lateral to what you see in the movie. Whether it’s things that are happening off-camera or things that are happening inside the characters’ heads.
This development process would culminate in a story Bible of sorts that will allow other writers and contributors to create material that would co-exist within the Avatar universe. Production on the new sequels isn’t expected to start soon with Cameron contemplating another one of his marine adventures or helming a Cleopatra movie, but nothing is for certain in this business.
However the follow-ups are in development and the filmmaker is planning what will be a consuming technical feat:
It’s in process right now, there is a lot of writing, a lot of designing and a lot of tech work that we are going to do. What I can tell you is this: Our plan, right now, is to make two and three together as a single large production, and release them a year apart…There were certain things that we would have had to go full stop to be able to improve and upgrade, and we’re in that process right now.
Sigourney Weaver as Dr Grace Augustine
A question that fans continue to ask is whether Sigourney Weaver‘s character of Dr Grace Augustine would feature in the sequels despite dying at the end of Avatar, however Cameron surprised many by replying:
Who said she died? Nobody dies in a science fiction movie. Whether Grace lives or dies depends more on Sigourney’s agent than anything.
Avatar and it’s proposed sequels represent a turning point in technology and in the cinematic process, and the with the line now successfully blurred between imagination and reality, the possibilities for storytelling is now endless:
…we are at interesting juncture in cinema history, where if you can imagine it, you can do it.
Source: Screenrant
Update: Word is that James Cameron has now agreed to commence shooting the first of the sequels as soon as the screenplays are completed in late 2011, with the first sequel targeted for release in December 2014 and the next part in December 2015.
AVATAR Extended Collection’s Edition: 3-Disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray
Disc One
- Original Theatrical Version
- Special Edition Re-Release
- Collector’s Extended Cut (16 more minutes and exclusive alternate opening)
- Family Audio Track (All Objectionable Language Removed — available on Original Theatrical Release and Special Edition Re-release)
- Original Theatrical Release
- Special Edition Re-release
Disc Two
- “Capturing Avatar” An in-depth feature length documentary with James Cameron, Jon Landau and cast and crew
- Deleted Scenes – including over 45 minutes of new never-before-seen deleted scenes
- Production Materials
Disc Three
- Open “Pandora’s Box” and go deeper into the filmmaker process
- Interactive Scene Deconstruction: Explore the various stages of production through 3 different viewing modes
- Production Shorts: 17 featurettes covering performance capture, scoring the film, 3D fusion camera, stunts and much more
- Avatar Archives including original scriptment, 300 page screenplay and the extensive Pandorapedia
- BD-live Portal with additional bonus materials
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