James Cameron gathers Avatar 2 fans for unfiltered reviews – The Hollywood Reporter
days before James Cameron Avatar: Water Road He made his way after his 1997 movie, Titanicon the global box office charts to become the #3 film of all time (non-adjusted for inflation), the director took a seat at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank to do something he said he’d never do.
Cameron joined longtime production partner Jon Landau for the Avatar 2 Full of fans who have seen the movie once or many times. (A self-confessed man who watched the 3-hour, 12-minute movie seven times.) The purpose of the Feb. 16 event — presented by 20th Century Studios and Fandango — was for the pair to field feedback live from an audience that Cameron said would help in shaping the rest of the franchise.
“It’s something we’ve never done, which is [ask]How do we make the next movie even better for audiences? Go talk to them, and figure out what’s on your mind, Cameron said at the top of the event. Later, he made it clear that he wasn’t looking for praise and pats on the back for his film, which has now been nominated for four Oscars. “You can be completely honest with us, it’s not just about telling us the things we want to hear. It’s about telling us the things we… need to work on more.”
They took their time, too, as Cameron and Landau stood in front of the crowd for over an hour with Cameron, decked out in all black including a leather jacket and boots, personally handing the microphone to audience members while asking specific questions about plot points, shot selection, frame rates, and evolution. The personality, the emotional reactions, the moments that made them laugh, and even if it seemed “video game” in some parts.
One of the attendees was Jeff Napchin, owner of Star Truck Tours, he tells THR that he had “never seen a director solicit the kind of audience feedback he obviously took seriously”.
Napchin continued, “He also joked about some of the plot mistakes he had to deal with in the movie and how the movie’s plot constantly changed in montages as they tried to find what worked. I really think this experience was unique and special and, as James Cameron said, let’s get together.” In two years and we’ll see if our thoughts and reactions made the movie.”
This is what Cameron suggested at the conclusion of the event by saying that he intends to track everyone in the room so they can regroup after the next batch is released on December 20, 2024. “I just want to assure you guys that you’ve made a measurable improvement in your Avatar 3 And beyond with your effort here tonight.”
A version of this story first appeared in the March 1 issue of The Hollywood Reporter. Click here to subscribe.