The Hollywood Reporter has just announced that James Cameron is heading back behind the camera for the first time since Titanic in 1997 with an official start date of April 2007 set for Avatar. The news also brings word that Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana have been cast in the lead roles as Jake Sully and the local woman Jake gets involved with. On top of that both actors have signed on for possible sequels.
The film is expected to be released summer 2009 as Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment team has spent years researching a groundbreaking mix of live-action cinematography and virtual photorealistic production techniques for Avatar, reports THR, which will feature virtual characters filmed for 3-D release in a new digital 3-D format. Cameron has been lobbying for exhibitors around the country to adopt more digital projection systems. Both he and the studio are anticipating that digital 3D theaters will be widespread by the film’s summer 2009 release.
Avatar is the story of a wounded ex-marine who is unwillingly sent to settle and exploit a faraway planet. He gets caught up in battle for survival by the planet’s inhabitants.
Cameron penned the script and will direct using image-based performance capture techniques similar to those used by such films as Superman Returns, and a real-time virtual camera system, which will blend with dramatic performances and CG, to create new CG worlds and blend them with dramatic performances and live action in ways never seen before.
As for special effects, well, those went to Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning visual effects house Weta Digital. Principal photography will take place in and around Los Angeles, and in New Zealand. Live action will be shot using the proprietary FUSION digital 3D camera system developed by Cameron and Vince Pace.
Fox sees definite franchise potential with the picture.
