In director James Cameron's original script treatment of Avatar, a man tries to make his way as a miner by combining with an alien during an interplanetary war in which aliens can manifest themselves by possessing human bodies � avatars.

When Avatar was titled "Project 880", a casting call was put out in June 2006 with a plot description provided, saying, "In the future, Jake, a paraplegic war veteran is brought to another planet, Pandora, which is inhabited by the Na'vi, a humanoid race with their own language and culture. Those from Earth find themselves at odds with each other and the local culture."

In December 2006, Cameron described Avatar as "a futuristic tale set on a planet 200 years hence... an old-fashioned jungle adventure with an environmental conscience... [that] aspires to a mythic level of storytelling." The January 2007 press release described the film: "Avatar is also an emotional journey of redemption and revolution. It is the story of a wounded ex-marine, thrust unwillingly into an effort to settle and exploit an exotic planet rich in bio-diversity, who eventually crosses over to lead the indigenous race in a battle for survival," and "We're creating an entire world, a complete ecosystem of phantasmagorical plants and creatures, and a native people with a rich culture and language."

not to be confused with Avatar: The Last Airbender which Mr M. Night Shyamalan's reportedly gonna make.

A Peek at the Na'vi in Cameron's Avatar?

MarketSaw has gotten its hands on a crew T-shirt from the set of James Cameron's Avatar that gives a first look at a silhouette of the Na'vi, which inhabit the exotic planet that an ex-Marine travels to in an effort to settle and exploit. The ex-Marine eventually crosses over to lead the indigenous race in a battle for survival.

The film, opening December 18, 2009, stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Peter Mensah, Laz Alonso, Wes Studi, Stephen Lang and Matt Gerald.

James Cameron on Avatar

The Hollywood Reporter has published a new interview with director James Cameron talking about his highly-anticipated new feature, Avatar, coming to theaters on December 18, 2009. Here's a clip from the interview:

When completed, Cameron expects "Avatar" to be about 60% CG animation, based on characters created using a newly developed performance capture-based process, and 40% live action, with a lot of VFX in the imagery.

"It is the most challenging film I've ever made," Cameron said.

Still, the innovative filmmaker and digital 3-D pioneer and champion has never shifted his emphasis from storytelling.

"You have to make a good film that would be a good film under any circumstances," he said. "You have to put the narrative first. The reality is no matter how many (3-D) screens we get, you are still going to have a large number of people -- possibly the majority of people -- who see the film in a 2-D environment."

Avatar Not Pushed Back After all



UPDATE: It took about half an hour for Fox to correct our earlier report that Avatar may have been pushed back, based on the release date on the official website disappearing. Turns out the release date is the same; it was just a glitch in the site's system. So no worries! Avatar is still set for a December 18, 2009 release. Below is the original story.

Release dates are fickle things, as everyone looking forward to the new Harry Potter movie learned this summer. And James Cameron's Avatar has had some particularly slippery release dates, given its reliance on incredibly complex technology and its plans to only be released in 3D, which many theaters aren't equipped for yet.

So while Avatar had been set for a Christmas 2009 release, it may have been pushed back yet again, as spotted by the guys at 3D tech blog Market Saw. They noticed that the official Fox Movies site has the date listed as "undefined," even though it had previously been December 18, 2009. They also point out that Anne Thompson, writing for Variety last month, suspected that Cameron would try to have the release pushed back to 2010.

At this point in Avatar's production and advertising process, it doesn't seem too late to push things back. And it would probably be a good thing, given all the technical challenges and the movie's reliance on 3D, which more and more movie theaters have installed but is by no means standard. Now we have to wait to see what Fox has to say about all this, and let us know whether or not this delay is actually happening.

Cameron's 'Avatar' to get 3-D release
Imax, Fox deal for Christmas 2009 film



Imax Corp. and 20th Century Fox have pacted to release James Cameron's Christmas 2009 tentpole "Avatar" on Imax 3-D screens at the same that it opens in conventional 3-D theaters.
Fox said deal allows "Avatar" to be released in all available theatrical formats.

"Our goal with 'Avatar' is to revolutionize live-action 3-D moviemaking, and I have no doubt that it will look and sound incredible in Imax 3-D," Cameron said in endorsing the move.

Cameron and Jon Landau's Lightstorm Entertainment are producing the big-budget tentpole, which unspools in theaters Dec. 19.

Fox prexy of distribution Bruce Snyder said showing "Avator" in Imax theaters gives the consumer the entire spectrum of choice.

This summer, many people saw Warner Bros.' "The Dark Knight" both in regular theaters and in Imax locations.

Next year brings a multitude of 3-D releases, in addition to "Avatar," although there still aren't enough digital 3-D screens in conventional theaters to sustain that amount of product.

IMAX 3D for Avatar



I don't know what's worse -- that there's still more than a year before AVATAR hits theaters, or that there's such a frustrating lack of available material on the next movie from the guy responsible for TERMINATOR, ALIENS and the still-reigning box office champ.

So we'll chew whatever morsels we can get, such as the new announcement that James Cameron's sci-fi epic will be getting a release in 3-D on the monstrous IMAX screens, along with traditional 3-D theaters. The tech-heavy affair involves a disabled war veteran sent to a distant planet, where humans find themselves at odds with the indigenous lifeforms (CG-crafted performance-capture "synthespians").

Cameron, a longtime tri-dimensional proponent, will deliver the keynote speech at the upcoming 3-D Entertainment Summit in LA. Maybe he'll finally unleash a glimpse at AVATAR, especially since BOLT and MONSTERS vs. ALIENS may not be quite the convincers necessary to get theaters to adopt the pricey stereoscopic gear.

Extra Tidbit: Expect to see 3-D home theater gear being pushed our way in the near future as our tech continues to play catch-up with Japan.

"Avatar" Teaser Material Coming Soon? Pics of Theatrical Distribution Containers?



**SAME DAY UPDATE: Images came from a user named b33555x on IMDB who happened upon them on the Internet. No word where he found them.

Jim here guys. This could be what we are waiting for, or it could be completely bogus! I have no idea at this moment but I am on the horn to everyone I know to verify if this is authentic. A dedicated reader of MarketSaw (thanks Darkoo) sent me these images but is uncertain of the origin on the Internet.

If it IS authentic, then we have AVATAR teaser material and it looks to be a substantial amount - 3 minutes and 57 seconds worth! Makes me think it is a sequence from the movie itself rather than a trailer! Now that makes sense too as a trailer would probably draw upon the entire movie itself and it is not nearly complete yet. But segments are probably complete!



My best guess is this teaser will be shown at the 3D Entertainment Summit in LA (Dec 1-2) or at the3DX Festival in Singapore (Nov 19-23) (or both). Cameron is talking at BOTH. Not sure what movie (if any) this would be shown ahead of short term - still believe the first official trailer for AVATAR will be shown before ICE AGE3: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS on July 1st, 2009.

Of course the bare film in the pics are not digital as, well a digital distribution would via Internet or hard drive.



What do you guys think? To me it seems a little concocted with having the bare film reels sitting beside the canisters, but hey, maybe this spy has VERY inside access to this stuff! Let's put it this way: I WANT to believe. And there is opportunity coming up very soon for Cameron to unleash this upon us...

Check out our world's best, full AVATAR coverage here.

Wow! More AVATAR Concept Art From Na'vi Artist Uncovered!



Jim here - MORE images uncovered!! Christmas is early this year I guess! We hit the jackpot today. Thanks to an anonymous tipster from the Canary Islands who sent me an IM through MarketSaw. The concept artist's name is Jonay Bacallado and here is the remaining images for you to explore! These ones are NOT blurry whatsoever as you can see.



Look at the intricate design of the garment she is wearing - and hey, that looks like a shell on her shoulder as part of her armor! Could it be that the shell has a creature still inside of it and they help one another in battle? There are a lot of symbiotic relationships on Pandora (don't want to go into details though - but this is possible believe me).

The hair is amazing! Glowing tips. Looks like her garment wraps around her and comes up above her shoulder - almost as a shield would rest on her back. Looks like a glowing tattoo on her upper arm too! AWESOME.

The signature at the bottom says "Concept" - uncertain what the first word says - "First"? Perhaps this is the very first attempts at the Na'vi? Whatever - this is the closest we have ever been!

Look at how tall and sleek she looks. I would say she is extremely fast and agile - guess you would have to be in Pandora's jungles!

LOOK AT THE TAIL - same glowing ends as her hair has! What kind of odd contraption is on her arm? is that another weapon?

Man I can't wait to see these things in 3D! Her armor seems to be placed at critical points, but certainly is not anywhere near full body. The third photo here has the words "Close Up Concepts" signed at the bottom.



If you look at her weapon (spear?) in the bottom photo you will see something hanging off of it toward the leading tip - what is that? Not quite string really - perhaps something exotic like a poisonous... something. It is so hard to get your head around what we are seeing here for the first time!

Her tail almost seems to be part of her wardrobe - doesn't feel like it belongs as part of her natural body! Could it be an add on symbiotic "thing" - and what is that rigid looking item on her chest?



I am going to have to take some time to digest what we are seeing here! AWESOME stuff. Imagine this fully rendered in photo realistic CGI in stunning and immersive 3D engaged in battle!?

Sound off! What do you guys make of these?

'Avatar' might be too cool



The buzz surrounding James Cameron's big-budget return to science fiction has been nothing short of awe-inspiring. The film, a mix of CGI and live action using new techniques Cameron himself helped to develop, was shot with a special 3-D camera (also developed by Cameron). Mix that with the promise of large-scale, hard science fiction that hasn't been attempted much in the past few years, and you have a project that seems guaranteed to live up to the hype and expectations that are riding on it. The only question (and fear) is what is to become of the cinema geeks overwhelmed by the images that Cameron and his effects crew are putting in front of them. For those with weaker constitutions, we fear the worst.

Hollywood Finds Headaches in Its Big Bet on 3-D

LOS ANGELES — The imminent full-bore return to 3-D filmmaking, upon which the movie industry is placing many of its hopes, is in danger of becoming Hollywood’s latest flub.



Some of the mightiest forces in film — Jeffrey Katzenberg, James Cameron, John Lasseter — think the multiplex masses will soon demand that all movies be shown in newly available digital 3-D. Mr. Katzenberg, in particular, has pushed the format, trotting the globe to herald the technology as a transformative moment for cinema akin to the introduction of sound.

His bandwagon has plenty of passengers, at least in Hollywood. The Walt Disney Company alone has 15 three-dimensional movies in its pipeline. Twentieth Century Fox is betting an estimated $200 million on “Avatar,” a 3-D space adventure directed by Mr. Cameron and set for December release, his first nondocumentary film since 1997’s “Titanic,” still the biggest moneymaker in movie history, without counting inflation. All told, the movie factory has over 30 3-D pictures on the way.

But analysts are starting to warn that all of that product could find itself sitting on a loading dock with no place to go. Studios, thrilled by 3-D’s dual promises of higher profits and artistic advancement, have aggressively embraced the technology without waiting for movie theaters to get on board. And without those expensive upgrades to projection equipment at the multiplex, mass market 3-D releases are not tenable.

“It’s starting to look like there will be a lot of disappointed producers unable to realize the upside of these 3-D investments,” said Harold L. Vogel, a media analyst and the author of “Entertainment Industry Economics.” Filming in 3-D adds about $15 million to production costs, he said, but can send profit soaring because of premium ticket pricing.

Only about 1,300 of North America’s 40,000 or so movie screens support digital 3-D. (Imax adds 250.) Overseas, where films now generate up to 70 percent of their theatrical revenue, only a few hundred theaters can support the technology. It costs about $100,000 for each full upgrade.

Studios require about 3,000 screens in North America for most new releases. Popcorn movies like “Avatar” or “Monsters vs. Aliens,” a 3-D entry from DreamWorks Animation, typically open on more than 4,000 screens.

“The crunch has everybody scrambling,” said Chuck Viane, president for domestic distribution for Walt Disney Studios. “We had expected many more screens to be available by now, no doubt about it.”

Upgrades have lagged primarily because of industry infighting over who will shoulder the cost. Studios expected theaters to take the lead because digital equipment would allow them to raise prices — tickets to the new crop of 3-D movies run as high as $25 each — and lure consumers away from their big-screen living room TVs. Exhibitors, hurt by soaring real estate costs, wanted studios to pay for similar reasons.

Movie chains and four of the six major studios agreed in September on a plan to convert upward of 15,000 theaters using $1 billion in debt financing arranged through JPMorgan Chase. But the squabbling took too long: The financing plan came together just as the credit markets froze.

Studios and exhibitors say the upgrade plan is not in jeopardy.

“This is a long-term commitment and a long-term strategy,” Mr. Katzenberg, the chief of DreamWorks, said recently.

Meanwhile, the Digital Cinema Implementation Partners, a consortium of exhibitors and studios, is pursuing alternative financing to allow the plan to proceed in steps. “Rather than just being patient, we are aggressively exploring all options,” said Rich Manzione, the group’s vice president for strategic planning.

Other participants seem less optimistic. Will the credit markets thaw in the first quarter, as Mr. Katzenberg predicts? “Your guess is as good as mine,” said Mike Campbell, the chief executive of the Regal Entertainment Group, which owns the nation’s largest movie theater chain.

Meanwhile, the shortage of 3-D theaters is upsetting profit projections at various studios, with three-dimensional movies probably leaving millions of dollars on the table. When DreamWorks Animation releases “Monsters vs. Aliens” on March 27, it will have to settle for half the number of 3-D screens it wanted. While acknowledging the shortage, Mr. Katzenberg recently told analysts there were enough theaters available to “recover our upfront investment and make a profit.”

To get an idea of how much money is at stake, DreamWorks Animation recently estimated that one of its hit titles, released entirely in 3-D, would earn an additional $80 million in profit.

The shortage is sending mixed messages to moviegoers, many of whom are already skeptical of the claims about 3-D. Because of a shortage of outlets last summer, Warner Brothers had to scramble to change the marketing for “Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D” — dropping “3D” from the title — and offer a two-dimensional release in tandem. Lionsgate will have just 900 3-D theaters available for “My Bloody Valentine 3D” on Jan. 16, forcing the studio to show a standard version on about 1,600 screens.

The delay is also threatening to undercut one of the primary benefits for theaters — the ability to deliver an experience that consumers cannot replicate at home. But the home entertainment market is rapidly catching up, with companies developing 3-D options for the home.

RealD, a California company that is the lead provider of 3-D technology for theaters, last week demonstrated a similar product for televisions at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Michael Lewis, the chief executive of RealD, said in an interview that he expected Americans to own 10 million 3-D-capable television sets within five years.

People who remember 3-D from the 1950s roll their eyes at Hollywood’s renewed fascination with the medium. They associate 3-D with cheesy films (“Creature From the Black Lagoon”), stiff cardboard glasses and jerky, stomach-turning camera movements.

This time, movie executives insist that everything has changed. Digital projectors deliver the images with perfect precision — eliminating headaches and nausea — while plastic glasses have replaced the cardboard.

Most important, say filmmakers, new equipment allows movies to be built in 3-D from the ground up, providing a more immersive and realistic viewing experience and not one based just on visual gimmicks.