James Cameron revealed in a recent interview with New York times He shut down 20th Century Fox executives when they tried to fight him over a major sequence in “Avatar.” Cameron dismissed studio notes to make the film shorter and cut back on the film’s flying sequences by telling executives that he had directed “Titanic” and thus paid for a large portion of 20th Century Fox’s studio.
“I think I felt, at the time, that we had a fight about certain things,” Cameron said. “For example, the studio felt that the movie should be shorter and that there was a lot of flying around Ekran—what humans call melons. Well, it turns out that’s what the audience liked the most, in terms of polls and data collection. And that’s where I drew It just had a line in the sand and I said, “You know what? I made the movie Titanic. This building that we’re meeting in right now, this new half-billion dollar complex on your plot? The Titanic paid for it, so I have to do it.”
And then, they thanked me, Cameron added. “I feel my job is to protect their investment, often against their personal judgment. But as long as I protect their investment, everything will be forgiven.”
Given that “Avatar” grossed over $2 billion worldwide and remains the highest-grossing movie of all time at the global box office (not adjusted for inflation), the studio was smart to listen to Cameron’s instincts.
Cameron added to times. “I felt good about the creative decisions that were made at the time. We’ve spent a lot of time and energy improving our process in over a decade since. But there’s definitely nothing worth bothering about. I can see the little places where we’ve improved our business. Performing a facial. But it doesn’t take you out. I think it’s still competitive with whatever is out there these days.”
“Avatar” returns to theaters September 23 in IMAX and 3D formats ahead of the upcoming release of “Avatar: The Way of Water,” the much-anticipated sequel that opens in theaters December 16.
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