Tuesday, January 09, 2007

James Cameron Launches First Feature Film Since "Titanic"

Oh, I couldn't be bothered to get the headline right. Yes, he's done documentaries and the such. This is Cameron's first real directing effort since "Titanic." I'm not quite sure why this "official" announcment worked so well at drumming up news: Cameron has been working on the effects for years and doled out info previously and nothing here provides any new details. But "Avatar" will be out in 2009, surely a deadline even a special effects heavy extravaganza like this one can meet. Cameron is a great action director -- I hope he hasn't gone all George Lucas on us and gotten more enamored with the toys than with telling a story. Interestingly, another "Avatar" project was announced today. M. Night Shymalan -- surely at the polar opposite in Hollywood since Cameron is coming off the biggest hit of all time and M. is coming off a huge flop -- will direct the live action version of Nickelodeon's cool animated show "Avatar: The Last Airbender." It's the first project he hasn't developed solely by himself and could be just what M. needs: I think he's very gifted technically but clueless storywise; an outside project is perfect for him.

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