With the first ‘Avatar’ sequel directed by James Cameron scheduled for an official release on Christmas 2017, details about the upcoming movie’s issues in filming and production have been revealed.
According to earlier reports, ‘Avatar 2’ will highlight the water ecosystem of Pandora; as such, majority of the scenes will be filmed underwater.
As reported by Clapway, Cameron plans to make use of technology that will aid him in filming breathtaking scenes underwater.
However, the necessary technological means for underwater filming has not yet been obtained, thereby leading to delays in the production process.
"Cameron himself has revealed that the technology will help them speed up the filming process. A lot of the graphics and computer software have been developed at Weta Digital in New Zealand where Avatar 2's animation and special effects is worked upon," a website report claimed.
In addition, producer Jon Landau also revealed that ‘Avatar 2’ will have team members who can carry out the testing process for the new technology on underwater motion capture.
According to Landau, animation and graphics to simulate the water can be used, but will not generate the same effect for the actors, hence the need for technology that will help capture the actors’ experience when filming inside a tank.
Speaking about the sequel’s delay, 20th Century Fox chair-man CEO Jim Gianopulos assures fans that Cameron follows his own distinct approach in filmmaking. '
“James Cameron has his own pace," the executive said.
Gianopulos also revealed that he recently visited Cameron at his headquarters in New Zealand.
"It's a room… which is covered floor to ceiling with images, characters, worlds, settings," he shared. "It's the most amazing, breathtaking thing you've ever seen. His challenge is to put all of that in a movie."
He even mentioned how the director’s style in transforming the ‘Avatar’ story to the now multi-awarded movie left Fox executives bewildered.
“In the first movie he created technology that was so far ahead of its time,” Gianopulos added. “Of course now he’s gone past that…all the pieces are in place. The story is being finalized.”
With the first movie’s record-breaking release in 2009, ‘Avatar’ went on to become the highest-grossing film in history after pulling in approximately $2.8 billion in cinemas worldwide.
In the following year, the epic sci-fi film was nominated for nine Oscars and went on to bag three awards in technical categories. Cameron filmed the first movie in New Zealand and announced his plans of shooting the sequels in the same location following a preferential tax negotiation with the country’s authorities.
