Docu Set at Disney+ About the Making of James Cameron’s Blockbuster
Oscar winning director James Cameron jpurney of bringing Avatar to the big screen is the subject of a new documentary.
“Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films” will premiere Nov. 7 exclusively on the streaming service Disney+.
The two-part documentary will offer a deep-dive into the making of 2022’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” as well as a glimpse at the upcoming “Avatar: Fire and Ash” with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with cast and filmmakers. Some of the many bold-face names that appear in the film include Cameron, the late producer Jon Landau, and stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña and Kate Winslet.
“I’m going to let you in on a little secret,” Cameron teases in the documentary trailer.
“As much as we use computers and technology, ‘Avatar’ is made by an incredibly talented team of people who bring every expression, every emotional beat and the entire world to life.”
Cameron uses motion capture to translate the performance of the actors, including their body movements and facial expressions, into the blue humanoid characters known as the Na’vi. With “The Way of Water,” the director and collaborators were able to perfect that meticulous process to underwater sequences. Meanwhile the cast learned to free dive in a massive, state-of-the-art 680,000-gallon water tank.
Adds Worthington, “There’s not one thing that you see us do that is animated. It is all us.”
“Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films” was directed and produced by Thomas C. Grane and executive produced by Cameron and Rae Sanchini.
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” will hit theaters just before Christmas on December 19.
Two sequels — “Avatar 4” and “Avatar 5” — are scheduled for the holiday season in 2029 and 2031.
