Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Avatar

  • ‘Avatar’ Temporarily Removed from Disney+ for its Theatrical Return

    ‘Avatar’ Temporarily Removed from Disney+ for its Theatrical Return

    Here’s a surprise it seems that Disney+ has temporarily taken Avatar, James Cameron‘s sci-fi epic, down to promote the upcoming re-release in theaters. It is currently getting a new two-week release with 4K and high-dynamic range restoration. It seems they have quietly removed it ahead of the re-release and if you’re worried this is another HBO Max, the film will return before Avatar: Way of the Water‘s release in December. It’s still currently available on other platforms if you are looking for a way to check it out from home.

    It’s not the greatest move to quietly remove it, as we’ve seen in the past that theatrical availability doesn’t truly hamper its theatrical run. Especially if the plan is to also upload the 4K updated version. Of course, Disney sees a lot of potentials, and with the franchise already having multiple sequels already in some form of production, they will do everything they can to promote it as much as possible.

    Luckily, this isn’t a scenario like with HBO Max that it’s permanently removed but it is a shame that such practices might be the usual move when trying to get a re-release more attention while it is in theaters. We’ll see if this will truly last and it’ll return once the two weeks theatrical run is over or if we really have to wait until shortly before Way of the Water‘s release later this year.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Avatar’ to Return to Theaters in 4K Release Next Month

    ‘Avatar’ to Return to Theaters in 4K Release Next Month

    Avatar is heading back to theaters.

    20th Century has announced that James Cameron‘s 2009 epic, Avatar, is heading back to theaters for one night only. Fans of the film will be able to experience the film in a whole new way as the film is re-released in stunning 4K High Dynamic Range on Sept. 23rd. To celebrate the re-release, 20th Century has unveiled a new trailer, which you can check out below.

    Released in 2009, Avatar has gone on to become one of the most successful films of all time. The film focused on a paraplegic Marine who is sent to the moon Pandora on a mission but soon finds himself feeling torn between his orders and protecting the place he believes to be his true home. Avatar managed to amass an astounding haul of $2.743 billion at the worldwide box office. $749.7 million of that came from the states, while the other $1.993 million came from international markets. The film remains the highest-grossing movie of all time.

    Written and directed by Cameron, Avatar stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver. The film was produced by Cameron and Jon Landau. The long-awaited sequel, Avatar: The Way of the Water, will finally be released in theaters this December, just in time for the holidays.

  • REPORT: ‘Community’ Star May Have Joined Live-Action ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Series

    REPORT: ‘Community’ Star May Have Joined Live-Action ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Series

    Here’s an iinteresting secret casting, but it may look like that Community‘s Abed, Danny Pudi, may have joined the upcoming live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Whiel details are scarce, Avatar News, who have been very trustworthy in the past, has shared that the actor is playing the Mechanist in the Netflix adaptation.

    They hint that there was a casting call for the Mechanist’s son Teo, who they were looking to cast a South Asian actor in the role with a mobility disability. So, there were already hints that the character would appear in the project. Pudi would make for a great addition to the cast, and has quite the sense of humor to add some levity to the project. Though, it’s unclear how much we’ll see of the actor throughout the series run.

    The production has seemingly wrapped up not too long ago, but we’ve heard more from the still filming One Piece live-action series than the other. With Tudum on the horizon, we could get a first look there but it’s definitely an effects-heavy production. It alongside the before-mentioned manga adaptation is among Netflix’s biggest hopes to build their next Stranger Things, a franchise that will put them on the map.

    Source: Avatar News

  • SDCC: Upcoming ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Movie Will Revisit Aang and Friends

    SDCC: Upcoming ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Movie Will Revisit Aang and Friends

    There have been many speculations about what exactly the new Avatar Studios is going to work on. The world is rich and offers a lot of potential stories to explore. With three new films in development based on the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender, we finally got an update on what the first entry will be about. As it turns out, it’ll revisit some old territory as the film will be about Aang and his friends once again. They will seemingly be about their time as young adults rather than when we last saw them in the original series.

    Source: SDCC via TWitter

  • James Cameron Reveals Runtime for ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’

    James Cameron Reveals Runtime for ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’

    Audiences should prepare for another long-form entry in the return to the Avatar franchise at the end of this year. Avatar: The Way of Water is currently slated to have a run-time of around three hours according to director James Cameron. This comes after the original 2009 film held a run-time of approximately two hours and forty minutes. And with this gargantuan length to the project, Cameron has been very opinionated in being firmly antagonistic towards those who feel negative about this.

    I don’t want anybody whining about length when they sit and binge-watch [television] for eight hours. I can almost write this part of the review. ‘The agonizingly long three-hour movie…’ It’s like, give me a fucking break. I’ve watched my kids sit and do five one-hour episodes in a row. Here’s the big social paradigm shift that has to happen: it’s okay to get up and go pee.

    James Cameron

    And despite the original film being the highest-grossing of all time (unadjusted for inflation) having earned $2.84 billion at the box office, James Cameron also has gone out of his way to be vocal in his ardent disdain towards those who generally have a negative perception of the original Avatar film.

    The trolls will have it that nobody gives a shit and they can’t remember the characters’ names or one damn thing that happened in the movie. Then they see the movie again and go, ‘Oh, okay, excuse me, let me just shut the fuck up right now.’ So I’m not worried about that.

    James Cameron

    Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether or not Avatar: The Way of Water will successfully shut down the “trolls” or if Cameron is simply just providing more ammunition for those that disagree with his perspective.

    Avatar: The Way of Water opens in theaters on December 16, 2022, and stars the likes of Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver and Kate Winslet.

    Source: Variety 

  • ‘Avatar’ 4 and 5 Might Not be Directed by James Cameron

    ‘Avatar’ 4 and 5 Might Not be Directed by James Cameron

    The Avatar franchise is preparing to go full force in terms of expanding its presence on the cinematic landscape. Following more than a decade since the 2009 release of the original film, director James Cameron is bringing his vision back to the big screen with Avatar: The Way of Water releasing in December of this year. The sequel will be followed by another, untitled sequel scheduled for 2024. This is all part of Cameron’s lofty vision of creating a multi-film saga set in the same universe. 

    Though the team behind the franchise is hopeful for being able to produce the conclusion of this saga in the near future with fourth and fifth films being produced together, it may not be James Cameron helming these two installments. When speaking with Empire about the imminent release of Avatar: The Way of Water, the renowned director discussed the possibility that he might pass the reigns to another filmmaker for the next two-film chapter.

    The Avatar films themselves are kind of all-consuming. I’ve got some other things I’m developing as well that are exciting. I think eventually over time – I don’t know if that’s after three or after four – I’ll want to pass the baton to a director that I trust to take over, so I can go do some other stuff that I’m also interested in. Or maybe not. I don’t know.

    James Cameron

    This feels like a surprising revelation based on how passionately James Cameron has spoken about and worked in the world of Avatar. Especially with it being the hypothetical end of the franchise, it’s hard to not see Cameron be the one to direct this conclusion. Even if he does step away from the director’s chair, Cameron would remain greatly passionate for what these films mean to him and would very likely still have large amounts of control over this world.

    Everything I need to say about family, about sustainability, about climate, about the natural world, the themes that are important to me in real life and in my cinematic life, I can say on this canvas. I got more excited as I went along. Movie four is a corker. It’s a motherfucker. I actually hope I get to make it. But it depends on market forces. Three is in the can so it’s coming out regardless. I really hope that we get to make four and five because it’s one big story, ultimately.

    James Cameron

    Avatar: The Way of Water stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Kate Winslet, and Sigourney Weaver. The film is slated to open exclusively in theaters on December 16, 2022.

    Source: Empire Online 

  • First Look at Sigourney Weaver’s New ‘Avatar 2’ Character

    First Look at Sigourney Weaver’s New ‘Avatar 2’ Character

    Many were quite surprised when the news dropped that Sigourney Weaver will return to the world of Pandora. It was unsure how she’d return after playing the human Dr. Grace Augustine in 2009’s Avatar, but it looks like she is playing a completely new character. Empire has shared a first look at the young Na’vi Kiri, who is the adoptive daughter of Jake and Neytiri. She’ll make her debut in the upcoming release of Avatar: The Way of Water but further details on her role in the story are still uncertain.

    Going by the lore introduced in the first film, it does make sense that Weaver’s character would be reborn in one way or another. As they build up the connection between the unity that connects all living things on Pandora, it’s not too surprising that her soul may have been reborn in this new body. There’s also something nice bout letting her be reborn again and see this world from a new perspective.

    It wouldn’t be too surprising if she also becomes our guide into learning how the aquatic side of Pandora works, as this is new to the entire Sully family. We still know very little about the story and how the conflict is potentially set up moving forward but it does seem like we’ll be in for another wonderful adventure.

    Source: Empire

  • RUMOR: Ubisoft’s ‘Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora’ Game Eyeing November Release

    RUMOR: Ubisoft’s ‘Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora’ Game Eyeing November Release

    There hasn’t been a lot of news on the teased open-world game that’ll take place on the world of Pandora, which we were first introduced to in the 2009 film Avatar. James Cameron‘s sci-fi epic revealed a new race of humanoid cat-like aliens known as the Na’vi. The Ubisoft-developed game was first revealed a year ago in June but never got an official release date, which may have changed.

    Leaker Tom Henderson has released a tweet in regard to when God of War: Ragnarok may find its way to PlayStations. Supposedly there was a reveal planned for the day to confirm a 2022 release, which hasn’t come together. While speculating on its release, he revealed that the game Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora will potentially release on November 18th.

    The game will let you explore pandora as a Na’vi from a 1st-person perspective. The only other detail that is known is that the game will be open-world but we haven’t heard from the game in over a year. So, a new trailer has been long overdue and hopefully, we may find out more in the coming weeks, which is being developed by Ubisoft.

    As this is a leak, we’ll have to take it with a grain of salt. If it is indeed released in November, we may get an official trailer confirming the release in the coming months. The timing also works to build into the release of Avatar: The Way of Water which will be the first sequel of the original film since 2009. So, the franchise is making a comeback in a big way.

    You can check out the original trailer here:

    Source: Twitter

  • First Look at Kate Winslet in James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ Sequel

    First Look at Kate Winslet in James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ Sequel

    Empire has unveiled its first coverage for James Cameron‘s upcoming epic, Avatar: The Way of Water. In it, they unveil our first look at Kate Winslet‘s character for the more aquatic-focused sequel to the 2009 classic. It’s also the first time Winslet has reunited with director Cameron since the original Titanic film. Now, she’s moving away from the character of Rose to play the Na’vi warrior Ronal.

    She is joined by Cliff Curtis‘ Tonowari, who leads the Metkayina tribe and will have a major part in the film. In the coverage she shared some insight into what we can expect from the latest Na’ve added to the core cast of this franchise.

    She is deeply loyal and a fearless leader. She is strong. A warrior. Even in the face of grave danger, and with an unborn baby on board, she still joins her people and fights for what she holds most dear. Her family and their home.

    Kate Winslet

    She also shared what it was like reuniting with Cameron after all this time, especially how they have changed with time.

    Jim and I are both totally different people now to who we were 26 years ago. He is calmer, and I am definitely more hyperactive now.

    Kate Winslet

    The actress is no stranger to the director and being surrounded by a lot of water during a shoot. she did share that she managed to say under water for “seven minutes and 14 seconds” for the shoot, as they’ll focus on a more ocean-centric storyline after the Sam Worthington‘s Jake Sully and Zoe Saldana‘s Neytiri end up finding a new home closer to the vast oceans of their new home planet.

    Source: Empire

  • First Look at ‘Avatar’s LEGO Set Ahead of ‘The Way of the Water’s Release

    First Look at ‘Avatar’s LEGO Set Ahead of ‘The Way of the Water’s Release

    It may have taken way longer than anyone suspected, but a new LEGO set for Avatar has been unveiled. While the first entry of James Cameron‘s sci-fi epic was released back in 2009, the sequel The Way of the Water is only a few more months away from hitting theaters. Now, LEGO has unveiled its new Avatar-themed set during LEGO Con 2022. The set is titled “Toruk Makto & Tree of Souls” which will be made available to purchase on October 1st, 2022, as shared through Jay’s Brick Blog.

    They have also shared an image of what the set looks like built, highlighting the many figurines included in the model. It’s surprising that with the title of The Way of the Water, they wouldn’t include an aquatic set going in.

    LEGO sets have become a common tie-in to big blockbuster releases. So, it’s no surprise that they will do the same with the latest Avatar film. There’s a lot riding on its release, as not only will it kick off various others but it also has the legacy of the biggest movie release ever to compete with. Either the film will fall short of the original film’s overall box office, or it could even surpass it if the long wait between films has proven with the recent release Top Gun Maverick. It’ll be interesting to see what the box office has planned for a film entering its franchise stage.

    Source: Jay Bricks blog