Sam Amico
The visual effects in the upcoming Avatar sequel may be too incredible for their own good. So incredible, director James Cameron fears, that they make the original look like something from the 1940s.
Videos by Rare
OK, not quite that bad. But you get the idea.
The original Avatar was released in 2009 and is actually getting an extreme makeover itself — having been upgraded to 4K High Dynamic Range.
“I went into that screening worried that it was going to be a bit cringe-worthy relative to the new film, which looks pretty spectacular,” Cameron told Entertainment Weekly about seeing the original Avatar remastered for the first time.
“As the film ended, I went, ‘Hmm, I don’t know. I’m now worried about the new film. … That’s not true. I’m not worried about the new film. It looks pretty amazing. But I am hopeful that people will get out to the cinema and either discover or rediscover that experience so that they know what an Avatar movie’s all about.”
Avatar: The Way of Water
Cameron added that seeing the film in its remastered format actually helps him appreciate the original effort.
“It’s remastered in 4K, it’s remastered in an Atmos 9.1 sound, which wasn’t available at the time,” he said. “We judiciously used high frame rates to smooth out some of the 3D. So it looks better than I’ve ever seen it. I was sitting there going, ‘We did that? Wow.'”
Cameron has previously stated that a whopping four Avatar sequels are in the works. The first, Avatar: The Way of Water, will hit theaters on Dec 16. And yes, he promised things will be even more stunning this time around.
“In dreams, we believe we’re in the situation while we’re dreaming,” explained the director. “And that’s what I wanted to accomplish with the new film. That’s what I wanted to accomplish with the first Avatar, and what I think we did.
“Through the world-building and through the presentation and bright laser 3D and so on, you’re there. You can see every leaf on the tree. You feel like you can reach out and touch it. But it’s a new story with new characters, new stakes, new jeopardy, et cetera.”
The remastered version of Avatar is now in theaters worldwide.
