I doubt there’s a huge audience for this franchise here, but I wanted a place to post fanart and news if anyone is interested!
Alright. With the uptick in memes and shit, I think I can start to appriciate that after the third film, Avatar might actually be starting to make a cultural impact. Now, if that’s because of disney paying people to talk about it and make memes and shit, who knows.
Interestingly, I was just reading an article about that on the bus ride to work this morning:
https://slate.com/culture/2026/01/avatar-3-fire-and-ash-movie-box-office.html
But he and his writers have embraced a more simplified, broad-stroke approach to character and dialogue, one which puts the movies right on the border between telling stories with universal appeal and simply rehashing familiar tropes, including many copied over from Cameron’s previous films.
If the Avatar series’ impact starts diminishing the moment the movies leave theaters, that might be because they’re not meant to be seen any other way
Jesus christ, that’s more damning than anything I wrote against the fucking films as a person forced to see the first one twice when it came out by my shittiest girlfriend.
You’re pulling me back towards the hater side and away from the “well played cameron” side.
I worked on Avatar 2 & 3. Babysat moviemaking in an otherwise-empty building during covid lockdowns. Long days and working weekends. Friendships strained, the odd one ruined.
I’ve held the Oscar which Avatar 2 won, and my name is in the credits of both.
What I have not done is watch either film in its entirety. Bits and pieces during the creation process sure, but neither from start to finish.
After close to 9 years of every work day somehow tracing back to one or the other film, the overwhelming feeling at the completion of Avatar 3 was relief, above all else.
And to be clear it’s not that I remotely think they’re bad films, quite the contrary. Technology was created which will define an era of visual effects, and irrespective of what anyone says about nuance of the story, they are undeniably experiences (a point on which perhaps I agree with the writer of that article, around in-theatre viewing).
Over-exposure to anything will really change your worldview.
Firstly, thanks for being an accomplished person and choosing to spend your time in an online place where you hopefully share some interesting things people don’t know.
Secondly, congrats on the Oscar!
Thirdly, lots of questions.
- how do you feel about this whole thing; participating in the making of a film that ended up with the reputation that it has (seen as not significant culturally, but excellent technically and financially successful)?
- Were you assigned to work on this by your work, be it through a “boss” or through an “agent”, or did you seek out the role you had (and what was it that you did, if you want to share)?
- Did you personally enjoy the plot (of any of the avatar films) and is it one of your favourite films (as a fan or as a filmmaker)?
- Did you end up reading the entire script for the ones you haven’t seen at some point? Did you like the story? Do you think you’ll see them after you’re done “getting over” the burnout?
After close to 9 years of every work day somehow tracing back to one or the other film, the overwhelming feeling at the completion of Avatar 3 was relief, above all else.
I know that feel :) Obv not 9 years worth, but I understand the feeling.
Finally… are you going back for 4+5? Why for either response.
Thanks for all your time, regardless of if you respond.
Oh PS : I recently made a comment that the best use of 3d in film is when they add depth into the shots, and not when things are “popping out of the screen at you”, but people aren’t willing to interface with this in a subtle way, which is why it kinda fizzled. Do you agree with my view on how 3d can be best used, and do you think we might get it to come around again and actually be used “properly”?
Spider is pleased!
