James Cameron Believes The 3D Trend Is “Not Over” & Likens It To The Advent Of Color Films

It was a varied offering at the international box office this weekend with newcomers from Hollywood and offshore markets, as well as notable holds, as we inch closer to full-on action later in October. 

Elizabeth Taylor “Avatar” star Sigourney Weaver revealed some insight about James Cameron’s highly anticipated “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which premieres Dec. 16. “The story is about family, about our families trying to stay together [and] the lengths to which we all go to protect each other and protect the place where we live,” Weaver told Variety at a special screening for her new film “The Good House” in New York City. “It’s very much based on Jim’s family and his joy in the family; and also, how vulnerable you are when you have children.” A hit for over a decade since its original release, “Avatar” once again dominated the box office with an impressive re-release in theaters. Ahead of the upcoming sequel, the 2009 sci-fi epic wowed with $30 million worldwide in ticket sales, as reported on Sept. 25.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter CCH Pounder has joined the cast of the upcoming HBO Max limited series “Full Circle,” Variety has learned. Pounder is the latest addition to the ensemble cast, joining previously announced stars Zazie Beetz, Dennis Quaid, Claire Danes, Timothy Olyphant, Jharrel Jerome, and Sheyi Cole. Per the official description of the six-episode series, “An investigation into a botched kidnapping uncovers long-held secrets connecting multiple characters and cultures in present day New York City.” Pounder is best known for playing Claudette Wyms in the groundbreaking FX cop drama “The Shield.” She earned an Emmy nomination for her work in the show in 2005. Pounder has also received Emmy nominations for roles in the shows “The X-Files,” “ER,” and “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.” She also recently starred in the CBS series “NCIS: New Orleans” for seven seasons. On the film side, she played Mo’at in the James Cameron blockbuster “Avatar,” a role she will reprise in the sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water.”

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter There are plenty of valid reasons to be skeptical about “Avatar: The Way of Water.” It’s been more than a decade since James Cameron’s otherworldly sci-fi epic “Avatar” opened in theaters in 2009, smashing expectations on its way to becoming the biggest movie in history with $2.85 billion in global ticket sales. But times, tastes and box office expectations have changed drastically since moviegoers first made contact with the Na’vi. In the ensuing years, theater owners have developed a greater reliance on big-budget comic book spectacles, and 3D technology (despite Cameron’s best efforts) failed to take off in the way the filmmaker had hoped. Especially since the pandemic, billion-dollar hits outside of the superhero space have been few and far between.

Refresh for latest…: There was extra oomph at the international box office this weekend as Disney’s rerelease of 20th Century Studios’ Avatar grossed $20.5M from 50 offshore markets for a $30.5M global launch. The remastered 4K HDR version of the biggest movie ever was catnip to fans with No. 1s in several markets and, as designed, sets the table for James Cameron’s upcoming sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Despite 13 years passing since “Avatar” first hit theaters, moviegoers are apparently still dazzled by the striking world of Pandora. In anticipation of the sequel “The Way of Water,” which opens in December, Disney re-released James Cameron’s original science-fiction epic to promising returns. The film generated $10 million in North America and $20.5 million internationally over the weekend, a huge result for movie that opened more than a decade ago, even if that movie happens to be the highest-grossing global release in history. With this weekend’s returns, “Avatar” widens its lead as the biggest movie of all time with $2.85 billion worldwide.

according to IMDB’s Box Office Mojo. The flick, which The Post called “too obvious,” is predicted to enjoy a $75.4 million domestic run, according to Forbes.Long before its debut, it had already generated buzz because of rumors that Wilde, 38, is dating the film’s leading man, 28-year-old British megastar Harry Styles.Flying into second place was the 4K re-release of 2009 Oscar-winner “Avatar,” with an over $3.3 million take.

The thriller directed by Olivia Wilde and starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles was produced on a budget reported to be at around $35 million, so this opening puts the film on track to earn a modest theatrical profit if it gets some help from overseas theaters. The Venice premiere of “Don’t Worry Darling” was beset with constant rumors about animosity between Wilde and Pugh during the film’s production, and reviews from critics during and after the festival didn’t help matters with a 38% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Following the groundbreaking release of “Avatar” in 2009, James Cameron’s epic sci-fi franchise about a humanoid species called the Na’vi is finally back with the first of several sequels. After a 13-year gap, the saga will pick up with “Avatar: The Way of Water” in December before continuing on with what are currently being dubbed “Avatar 3”, “Avatar 4” and “Avatar 5” in 2024, 2026 and 2028, respectively.

Disney yesterday began overseas rollout on the remastered rerelease of James Cameron’s Avatar in five early markets with the Na’vi seeing a collective $877K gross. The 4K high dynamic range version was No. 1 in France at $513K, coming in 8% ahead of the comparable 3D rerelease of Titanic in 2012.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent The 17th annual Rome Film Festival will fete James Ivory with a career honor, a mini retrospective and the Italian launch of the Oscar-winning filmmaker’s personal new documentary “A Cooler Climate.” Ivory is expected in Rome to receive the award and present the doc about his life as a traveler that takes its cue from boxes of film the director shot during a life-changing trip to Afghanistan in 1960. The film premieres beforehand at the New York Film Festival. Rome’s Ivory mini-retrospective will comprise his films “Maurice”; “Mr. and Mrs. Bridge,” starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward; “The Remains of the Day”; and “A Room With a View.”

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Korean film producer Baek Jaeho has been named as the inaugural recipient of the Choon-yun Award, a prize set up in honor of Lee Choon-yun, the late chairman of the Korean Association of Film Art & Industry. The award, worth KRW10 million ($7,100), will be presented on the sidelines of the Busan International Film Festival on Oct. 6 in conjunction with IOK Company. Baek participated in the production of 2021 title “Snowball” and was previously involved in indie films “Jane” in 2016 and last year’s “Role.” He also acts and directs. Veteran director Kang Je-kyu praised Baek as ”a filmmaker who maintains his values and outspreads his potential in the insufficient independent film environment.”

Social media is abuzz in overseas markets where Disney today began rollout on a remastered version of James Cameron’s original 2009 Avatar, and as audiences are being treated to sneak footage from the upcoming sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water.

James Cameron told The New York Times this weekend that his first trip to Pandora was not entirely edenic.

James Cameron is a confident filmmaker. You can see that in his actual filmmaking style and choices.

James Cameron has detailed clashes he had with studio bosses ahead of the original Avatar‘s release.Ahead of the release of the long-awaited sequel Avatar: The Way Of Water later this year, the director claimed that executives wanted the 2009 blockbuster to be shorter, and wanted to cut down on characters flying around.“Well, it turns out that’s what the audience loved the most, in terms of our exit polling and data gathering,” Cameron told The New York Times.“And that’s a place where I just drew a line in the sand and said, ‘You know what? I made Titanic. This building that we’re meeting in right now, this new half-billion dollar complex on your lot? Titanic paid for that, so I get to do this.’”The director went on to claim that the studio later “thanked” him for standing his ground, and said that Avatar is “still competitive with everything that’s out there these days”.“I feel that my job is to protect their investment, often against their own judgment,” he continued.

That opening weekend would be just a tad higher than the $17.2 million opening for fellow Sony release “Where the Crawdads Sing,” which legged out to an $86 million domestic run thanks to strong word-of-mouth from female audiences. For “The Woman King,” Sony is hoping for a similar long box office run during this sluggish box office period as audience buzz builds.So far, it looks like Sony’s hopes will be fulfilled.