Worthington can’t wait to get back to Pandora

All has been a bit quiet of late on the subject of Avatar, it seems like an age ago now that James Cameron captured (and took over) the world with his science fiction epic, that smashed box offices to bits.

Now according to one of its stars, Sam Worthington, Cameron is already hard at work on Avatar 2 and 3. At a recent press day for his upcoming film The Debt, Worthington said:  “In regards to Avatar, he’s writing the bible, at the moment, which is a precursor to Avatar 1 and the whole world, basically.

“I think it’s just to get Jim’s mind back into the characters and back into the world. He’s told me where he wants to take Avatar 2 and 3, and it’s monumental. It’s just huge.”

The thought of  shooting back to back films would be daunting in itself for any actor (just ask the cast of LOTRs) but Worthington is desperate to get back into it once more.

“I love it,” he continues. “I’d do 10 [sequels] with Jim! I love working with him. He raises the bar and gives you the courage to jump over it, and he keeps pushing. He changes your life. He hasn’t just changed my life career-wise. He’s changed my life as a man.”

The next sequel for Worthington however will be the sequel to Clash of the Titans which should arrive in the UK  30 March 2012.

“[The first film] made a shitload of money,” laughs Worthington. “A lot of people went and saw it. I’ve just finished that and I loved it! Clash 2 is so different. It was a different experience for me because I’d learned a lot from Clash 1, and I’d learned a lot from other movies. I can’t wait for it to come out.”

No dates have been set for either of the Avatar sequels but no doubt news will filter through soon!

Source: Collider

Sanctum – 2011

An underwater cave diving team experiences a life-threatening crisis during an expedition to the unexplored and least accessible cave system in the world.

DirectedAlister Grierson

StarsRhys WakefieldAllison Cratchley and Christopher Baker

What we think: Disaster films that centre around tight confined spaces need to have two things, a good credible plot and characters that are likeable. For Sanctum one out of two isn’t that bad.

James Cameron takes his love of all things aqua, along with some pretty amazing high tech equipment down to the depths of the deepest blue waters where mother nature is anything but welcoming.

Having Cameron on board as an executive producer is certainly not a bad thing, especially when he is an expert in these kind of situations having been down to the depths with his documentary Aliens of the Deep and film The Abyss.

The story is simple, a team of highly skilled cave divers, well some of them, look to explore the darkest underwater caves and go where no human has gone before. It doesn’t go to plan, and when a tropical storm floods the cave and blocks their way out they must put personalities aside and work together to find an escape route, easier said than done really.

Where Sanctum hits the high notes are the short bursts of tension and suspense, whether it is maneuvering through a small hole in the cave, trying to overcome the claustrophobic terrain or battle depression sickness director Alister Grierson does a good job of keeping us on the edge of our seats and throws what he can at the group.

Where it let’s itself down is with the characters, a selection of protagonists some of whom have an Australian back ground at times under achieve with wooden acting which surrounded by water has the danger of turning to mush, and at times it does.

From the gruffly spoken leader Jack (Richard Roxburgh) whose continual battle with his somewhat annoying son Josh (Rhys Wakefield) is only going to end one way, to the mega rich financier Carl (Ioan Gruffudd) whose flagrant disregard for his own safety as well as those around him sees him ear marked for a gasping for breath ending.

Scattered in between are a few unknowns who are only there to add to the impending death count but do little to enhance the films reputation for solid acting.

With all that in mind there is no hiding James Cameron’s influence, shades of the Abyss are subtle but clear when called for and on the whole its beautifully shot. If you can look past the dodgy acting then it sets itself up as a very good disaster flick.

View the trailer

Rating: (3/5)

Visit the IMDb page for Sanctum

Please feel free to leave a comment about this film, we would love to know what you think and we’ll do our best to respond!

 

Avatar 2 & 3 to be shot back to back

James Cameron has been a busy boy the last few months, more so 2011. The award winning director is frantically scribbling away at the Avatar 2 & 3 sequels which he will shoot back to back.

The sequels will look to be released in cinemas December 2014 and 2015 respectively, and Cameron has confirmed what he has been up to so far this year.

“I am in the process of writing the next two Avatar films now,” he says.

“We are planning to shoot them together and post them together, and we will probably release them not quite back to back, but about a year apart. Christmas ’14 and ’15 is the current plan.”

Cameron also hopes that many of the films original cast will be back for the sequels, saying: “If you survived the first film, you get to be in the second film, at least in some form.”

Despite Cameron being labelled as a hard task master he has revealed his softer side explaining that a percentage of the sequel profits will be given to charity:

“Some percentage of the presumably-massive Avatar sequel gross will go to charity. Fox has partnered with me to donate a chunk of the profits to environmental causes that are at the heart of the Avatar world.

“I didn’t want to make more Avatar movies without a grander plan in place.”

Source: Inside Movies

Cirque du Soleil 3D next up for James Cameron

Is there nothing that James Cameron won’t do these days in his quest for complete world ’3D’ domination.

Deadline have revealed the next step in James Cameron’s plans to dominate the world in three dimensions.

Deadline have revealed that the Avatar director is teaming up with Andrew Adamson (the director of Shreks 1 and 2, and the first two Narnia movies) for a feature that will incorporate elements of the lauded Las Vegas performance show Cirque du Soleil.

The official press release claims that this new partnership is designed to “develop and produce immersive 3D projects inspired by the unique creative universe of Cirque du Soleil.”

The first project will be written and directed by Adamson, and exec-produced by Cameron. It’s not currently known how much money they’ll try to wring out of this; they’ll probably wait to see how well the first one does before setting any future plans in stone.

James Cameron is quoted as saying: “The images we’ve been shooting are stunning, and I know Andrew Adamson will weave them into a transporting, dreamlike narrative which will mesmerise audiences of all ages around the world.”

Adamson added: “Cirque du Soleil has always inspired me with their window into the balance between beauty and danger; art and technology; gravity and unbelievable physical ability. Bringing that to the screen in 3D is a perfect synergy between an art form and a medium.”

There’s no doubt this will look amazing, but we’re a little skeptical about how they’re going to make a decent film out of this idea.

Surely much of the joy of a Cirque du Soleil performance comes from the live atmosphere? Perhaps with Cameron behind it, this will give a boost to the recent trend of screening live musical events and sports matches directly into 3D cinemas.

Source: Deadline



Avatar sequels coming in 2014 and 2015

Just when you thought that all things Avatar had quietened down directing legend James Cameron has revealed that he will shoot two ‘Avatar’ sequels back to back, releasing them in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

After the huge success of the first one which basically smashed all box office records before it to become the most successful film of all time has said the next two installments will be an “epic journey”.

There is also no surprise that both will be shot in 3D, so it looks like box offices will be exploding once more in four or five years time, and this is great news for partners at Twentieth Century Fox.

Cameron said, “With two new films on the drawing boards, my company and I are embarking on an epic journey with our partners at Twentieth Century Fox. Our goal is to meet and exceed the global audience’s expectations for the richness of ‘Avatar’s’ visual world and the power of the storytelling.”

The news is sure to delight Twentieth Century Fox, who admitted that getting Cameron to make a sequel was a “high priority” for the studio.

A statement from Fox added, “Avatar’ is not only the highest grossing movie of all time, it is a created universe based on the singular imagination and daring of James Cameron, who also raised the consciousness of people worldwide to some of the greatest issues facing our planet.

“We had no higher priority, and can feel no greater joy, than enabling Jim to continue and expand his vision of the world of ‘Avatar’. This is a great day in the history of our company.”

Avatar is the story of a paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission and becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home. The film was a global phenomeun for the mind blowing visual effects although it has to be said the general plot of the story has been used throughout Hollywood before.