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James Cameron Hopes To Wow Young Film Fans With Avatar Re-Release

A remastered version of the original Avatar will hit the big screen this Thursday (Sept 22). 

James Cameron hopes the re-release of Avatar will help the "resurgence" of cinemas.


A remastered version of the 2009 sci-fi epic will be released in theatres this Thursday (Sept 22) and Camerpm wants a new generation to be introduced to the wonders of the big screen.


In an interview with New York Times, the 68-year-old director said: "It was a real pleasure to watch it, in its fully remastered state, a few weeks ago with my kids, because they had only ever seen it on streaming or on Blu-ray. 'Oh yeah, it’s that movie that Dad made back then.'

"And they got to see it in 3-D, at good light level and projection levels, for the first time. And they were kind of like, “Oh. All right. Now I get it.” Which, hopefully, will be the general audience reaction. Young film fans never had the opportunity to see it in a movie theatre.


Cameron is aware that movie viewing habits have changed in the wake of the pandemic and acknowledges that films have to be made with streaming and home access in mind.


The Titanic filmmaker said: "We've got a turn of the world towards easy access in the home, and that has a lot to do with the rise of streaming in general, and the pandemic, where we literally had to risk our lives to go to the movie theatre."

Cameron hopes Avatar's big-screen return will whet audiences' appetite for the sequel Avatar: The Way of Water in December — and the subsequent three follow-ups slated for 2023, 2025 and 2027, respectively. 

He added, "On the positive side, we see a resurgence of the theatre experience. People are craving that. It's slowly building back. Partly it's been because of a dearth of top titles that people would want to see in a theatre. But Avatar is the poster child for that. This is the type of film that you have to see in a theatre."

The original Avatar, released in 2009 (and re-released in 2010), has grossed more than US$2.8 billion (S$3.9 bil) worldwide — it's the highest-grossing movie of all time. It won three Oscars for Visual Effects, Art Direction and Cinematography. 

Avatar: The Way of Water opens in cinemas on Dec 15. — BANG SHOWBIZ

Photo: TPG News/Click Photos

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