James Cameron’sAvataris a landmark in cinematic history for various reasons. The movie connected to viewers on so many levels that the director had to scrap scripts while making the sequelAvatar: The Way of Waterin order to just match the vibe of the original movie. And as any good piece of cinema does, Avatar also made many fans wonder whether the theme in any way connects to the director’s previous work. Cameron especially has a track record of delivering box office blockbusters with underlying themes of colonization, climate change, and spirituality. In a recent interview withEmpire Magazine, when the auteur was inquired whetherAvatarhas any connection to his 1989 featureThe Abyss, the filmmaker revealed how the themes connect.
Cameron’s Academy Award-winning movieThe Abyssis set underwater and also deals with an alien species. The movie starsEd Harris,Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, andMichael Biehnand follows a US search and recovery team that is tasked with recovering an American submarine that sunk in the Caribbean.Jurassic WorlddirectorColin Trevorrowput forward the question to Cameron about whetherThe AbyssandAvatarare set in the same universe. The director revealed, “Just the universe of my brain. And obviously, I love bioluminescence. From early childhood on I’ve had a deep awe and fascination with all the wonders of nature, both above and below water. That’s certainly what drove the creation of Avatar.”
He further explained that withThe Abyss,he had a different motivation. “It was my version ofThe Day The Earth Stood Still, a function of my Cold War angst, and a comment on how an alien super-intelligence might judge rather harshly the way we mistreat each other and our beautiful world.” On the other hand,Avatartakes us to the mystical world of Pandora, where we find humans trying to excavate Na’vi’s valuable mineral unobtanium. Cameron explained, “InAvatar, we are the invaders from space, and the common theme withThe Abyssis that we are judged harshly by a more evolved alien culture, in that case, the Na’vi, who live in a harmony with nature in a way that we have forgotten.”
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Now,The Way of Wateris set to take us back to Pandora, where the story of the Sully family unfolds as troubles follow them, and will show the lengths they go to keep each other safe. Returning cast members includeSam Worthington,Zoe Saldaña,Stephen Lang,Joel David Moore,CCH Pounder,Giovanni Ribisi,Dileep Rao,Matt GeraldandSigourney Weaver. WhileKate Winslet,Cliff Curtis,Edie Falco,Jemaine Clement, andBrendan Cowellround up a new star cast.
Avatar: The Way of Wateris set for December 16. You can check out the trailer below:
