James Cameron on Movie Geeks United!

James Cameron: You Can Thank George W. Bush for ‘Avatar’

Odd as it sounds, the most successful film of all time—Avatar—was inspired by George W. Bush (at least in part).

So says James Cameron, whose 3D sci-fi epic crossed the $2 billion worldwide mark in late January, besting the previous record holder, his own Titanic, which topped out at $1.8 billion.

Interviewed on Movie Geeks United, the powerhouse director discusses the theme of imperialism in Avatar.
CAPTION: "It's going to carry on I think for some time," James (above) tells us of industrial development destroying world cultures, "at least until we're all one homogenous society wearing blue jeans and eating McDonald's."

"It's going to carry on for some time," James (above) tells us of industrial development destroying world cultures, "at least until we're all one homogenous society wearing blue jeans and eating McDonald's."

“I was writing the film in early ‘05—I had written the treatment way back earlier—and the story didn’t change much from the treatment. But I think some of the influences were the fact that we were at the peak of the fighting in the Iraq War,” he tells hosts Jamey DuVall and Jerry Dennis.

“I was reacting to the fact that I was infuriated by us going into Iraq in the first place. There was plenty of literature and information around that there was no WMD before we went in, and the whole thing was a big pack of lies—which ultimately proved to be true.”

James also discusses how the success of Avatar—which will be re-released on Aug. 27, sporting nine minutes of new footage—has had other big-time directors knocking on his door.

“I’ve done a few tutorials. I’ve done a few phone calls. I’ve run out to the camera shop and talked them through it,” he says.

“The thing I tell any director who wants to get into 3D—just get the camera and just go shoot some stuff for a couple days. Do some tests. Learn about stereo space and what you can do and have fun with it.

“Instead of fearing it and feeling It’s just a limitation, they should start to think, Alright, how can I create my own style in 3D? How can I make this a new set of colors to paint with?

As for his next trick, James says:

“It’s all in flux right now. I have to be very careful on how I pick my battles, and the order in which I fight them. ‘Cause it’s not like I’m 25 years old.

“We’re talking about big projects that take multiple years, and especially if I do two of them back-to-back, I have got to figure out the exact timetable.

“So I haven’t announced anything yet and I don’t expect to for probably six months at a minimum. Everything you’ve heard about is still in play—and even a couple you haven’t heard about.”

Go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/moviegeeksunited to hear Jame Cameron’s full interview.