August 21st is "Avatar" Day!

SAN DIEGO - James Cameron originally wrote "Avatar" as a way to challenge the special-effects firm Digital Domain, where he served as chief executive. But it took technology 14 years to catch up with his vision of a faraway planet populated by otherwordly plants and animals where humans embody avatars just to brave the landscape.

"In the same way that I wrote 'Terminator' just to get a directing gig, I decided to write a story that was full of creatures and characters that would push the art of CG for that company," he said. But after artists there said it couldn't be done, Cameron shelved the idea.

Ten years later, when he realized technology had caught up with his cinematic visions, he dusted off the concept and helped develop technology to make it work. On Thursday, he presented world-premiere footage of his progress to more than 6,000 fans at Comic Con.

The "Titanic" director showed more than 20 minutes of footage from the film.

"Avatar" introduces viewers to the planet of Pandora, where the lithe, blue, indigenous Navi people inhabit a lush and wondrous place dense with green forests, fluorescent pink flowers, bizarre hammerhead dinosaurs and flying dragons. Sam Worthington plays Jake Sully, a soldier on duty there, and Zoe Saldana plays Neytiri, the Navi princess who befriends him.

Saldana learned the fictional Navi language and studied with a dialect coach to perfect a Navi accent on her English.

"I'm from Queens," the actress said.

Sigourney Weaver, who plays botanist Grace Augustine, studied the fictional flora and fauna of Pandora to prepare for her role.

"Every single plant and creature has come out of this crazy person's head," she said, pointing to Cameron.

A longtime sci-fi fan who likens himself to the average Comic Con conventioneer, Cameron said "Avatar" is more than just a fantastic tale 14 years in the making.

"The technology could be made (for it) to happen, but also (it) was just wanting to do something, I don't want to say important," he told fans. "But something that has this spoonful of sugar of all the action and the adventure and all that, which thrills me anyway as a fan, but also wanting to do something that has a conscience, that maybe in the enjoying of it makes you think a little bit about the way you interact with nature and your fellow man."

It may seem like a simple story about "nasty" humans fighting with "those beautifully, spiritually evolved Navi," he said. "But it's really not, because we make science fiction as human beings for human consumption."

"It means the Navi represent something that is our higher selves, or our aspirational selves, what we would like to think we are or maybe what we realize we're losing," he said. "And the humans in the film, even though there are some good ones salted in, represent what we know to be the parts of ourselves that are trashing our world and maybe condemning ourselves to a grim future."

He announced that fans worldwide could see 15 minutes of the film for free on "Avatar Day," Aug. 21. The film is set to open Dec. 18. Comic Con continues at the San Diego Convention Center through Sunday.

New teaser banner for "Avatar"

First stills from "Avatar" the MOVIE, and not the videogame...

Wow. Just...wow. I'm assuming the first shot is an actual still from completed footage, and that the second is closer to concept art or unfinished footage, but either way, both of these are absolutely gorgeous. I'm going to be pissed if the trailer is shown before "Transformers", because I'll have to wait until July 7th before I'll have internet access again...

Finally: a clear look at "Avatar"'s plot

Source: Slashfilm.com

Producer Jon Landau narrated the movie for Slashfilm, including a bunch of details we didn't already know. Marine Jake Sully has lost the use of his legs, so he accepts the chance to become part of a mining operation on the planet Pandora, where a new mineral will be a total game-changer for Earth's energy production. The planet Pandora is so harsh, the usual armor and environmental suit options aren't enough, so humans have come up with a clone program, combining DNA from humans and Na'Vi, the native species on Pandora, to create half-human, half-Na'Vi Avatars that are a genetic match for the individual human.

Jake Sully's brother was one of the original Avatars, but he's dead now. So the corporation asks Jake to come to Pandora and "pilot" his brother's very expensive Avatar, because his DNA is a match. That means Jake will be able to walk again.

The story flashes forward a few years, and Jake has arrived on Pandora, a planet of indescribable beauty, including the weird flora and fauna and the bioluminescence. Floating mountains soar above 900-foot-tall trees. Working for the mining corporation, Jake has a nasty encounter with a Viperwolf, one of Pandora's scary creatures, and he nearly dies. But an arrow kills the creature — and it's been fired by one of the Na'Vi, played by Zoe Saldana, who starts telling Jake the truth about life on Pandora.

Jake starts to realize the Na'Vi live in harmony with nature, dangerous as it is, on Pandora. And he decides to help the Na'Vi fight for their freedom from humans — even though it means his Avatar will be driven away, and he'll lose the ability to combine with it. He'll give up his ability to walk, in order to save these noble savages. Landau described the film as not dissimilar to Pocohontas. And Cameron is definitely contemplating a sequel.

"Avatar"'s power-suits go on display at E3, and they're pretty amazing

Buckets of intriguing "Avatar" info from E3 (on both the movie and the video game)

Source: SlashFilm.com

James Cameron made an appearance at UBISOFT’s E3 press conference, talking about his upcoming film Avatar and the video game which has been developed alongside the movie. Not many hard facts were revealed, but here is a round up of what we learned:

• Ubisoft acquired a graphic design company named Hybride, which is creating over 100 of the CGI shots for the film.
• Cameron said that the film takes place in the 22nd century, on a large Earth-like moon called Pandora, with rain forests, 1000-foot tall trees, and many different types of critters.  He described the Na’vi as 10 feet tall and striped like tigers.

More after the jump.

• Weta provided Ubisoft with all the assets , models, and animations used in the movie. Cameron says that the game will have its own creatures, weapons and settings, some of which was designed by Ubisoft, and some of which were created specifically for the game only by Weta. Cameron says that he even incorporated assets that Ubisoft created for the game into the movie. because he liked the designs so much.
• The game tells a story that parallels the film, so you could play the whole game without spoiling the movie.
• The player can choose to be either human of Na’vi, and the who the bad guy is depends on which side you choose to play as.
• Cameron said that most video games based on movie properties kinda suck, and that he hopes revolutionize the model of movie to video game adaptations.
• “This film is way beyond anything I’ve ever done before, which is why its taken four years to date, and we have seven months to go,” said Cameron. “The live-action portion was filmed with cameras that took us 9 years to develop.”
• Ubisoft has been working on the game for over two and a half years.
• It will be the first major stereoscopic video game title developed in 3D from the ground up.
• Ubisoft also announced that they will be working with Steven Spielberg and PeterJackson on a video game version of the upcoming Tintin movies.
• No footage was shown during the press conference, but a demo will be available to press at E3.
• Cameron said that playing the new demo was the first time he’s ever been scared while playing a video game.
• /Film reader Person Mcdude adds:
  • He said that the air on Pandora isnt breathable by humans, so they genetically engineered a hybrid human/naavi, hence the name “avatar”.
  • the hybrids are able to control robots by “jacking” their nervous system into the robots. while jacked in, the individual is in a comatose state, but their consciousness is able to move the robot as if it were an extension of his/her body.
  • One of the overriding themes of the movie is learning to view things from another perspective. Cameron hinted at a showdown between the mechanized, technologically reliant humans vs. the natural, more primal, almost tribal like Na’avi. The main character, a human (worthington?) becomes increasingly sympathetic towards the Na’vi and must choose sides at the end. he sounded very excited and said this was a huge, amazing fight scene.

Thanks to Gametrailers for streaming the presentation. Ubi.com has added some screenshots from the game:

via: MarketSaw

Two pieces of concept art from "Avatar"

ARGH! I can't believe we have to wait until December to see this! If it lives up to even HALF of the current buzz/hype, it's going to be f-ing mindblowing. Cameron does know how to pull off a spectacle, and Avatar certainly fits into that niche quite well. 

Source: SlashFilm

If you get a slightly King Kong vibe off of this art, you wouldn’t be the only one. Also note that Peter Jackson has written the foreword to The Art of Avatar, the book in which these images - and many, many more - will soon be published.

Here, in the first image you see the full design of a Powersuit. It was just a couple of days back that we saw a partial photograph of a practical suit built for the film. Looking at the full representation here will give you a better sense of its scale.

It seems this particular piece of concept art was well preserved in the final build. Also note the crashed vehicle in the background. From what familiarity I have with the film (from talking to folk, stalking Marketsaw as they stalk Cameron and reading the scriptment and notes) I’d guess that this burning craft is a Samson, a light and fast transit ship with only light armament.

The second image is all new stuff. I think its probably best that you take a look at it before I discuss any of the details.

This one appears to show action from a set piece rather near the end of proceedings. Fleeing in the foreground is another one of the futuristic flying machines (most likely the Dragon Gunship, I think) and behind it is one of the native beasts of Pandora. This one, I think, is a Bansheeray.

There great amount of Pandoran flora and fauna was dreamt up by Cameron to create a very complex alien ecosystem and I think he’s planning to leave it in the background, behind the drama and characterisation. Thankfully, it shouldn’t all be so alien that we won’t be able to understand it – and indeed, the human characters who come to this strange world seem to mostly comprehend the otherness of what they find by referring to it in familiar, Earthly terms.

From Bansheerays to Direwolves, the Leonopteryx to the Direhorse, and of course including the Na’vi, the humanoid natives at the heart of the matter, there’s an awful lot Avatar alienage, the vast majority of it still to be unveiled.