Avatar director, James Cameron, claims that audiences will not be able to predict Avatar: The Way of the Water's story. Released in 2009, the science-fiction fantasy adventure surprised audiences with stunning visuals coupled with a tried-and-true story that resonated with moviegoers around the world. Avatar spent an impressive run in theaters, accumulating over $2.8 billion at the box office making the movie the highest-grossing film of all time. After 13 years, Cameron finally brings the beautiful planet of Pandora back to the big screen with Avatar: The Way of the Water hitting theaters on December 16.
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Set over a decade after the events of Avatar, the upcoming sequel will center on returning characters ex-Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his Na'vi partner Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) as they fight for their family's survival. While the original Avatar was a monumental financial success, some audiences criticized the story for being simplistic and predictable, as it borrowed elements from previously released titles. The hope is that the Avatar sequels' stories will cover fresh narrative ground, and based on Cameron's comments, that could be the case.
In a recent interview with IGN, Cameron claimed that audiences will not be able to predict Avatar: The Way of the Water's story. The director understands that audiences "hate" going to the movies to find that a story is too predictable. Cameron states that the sequel "is not predictable," and he doubts that anybody can figure out where the narrative will go. Read what the director said below.
“I guarantee you, you won’t be able to predict it. What people hate the most is to go and see a movie and say ‘oh… predictable.’ This is not predictable, I don’t think. I defy anybody to predict where this story goes.”
Cameron recognizes that every time the audience enters a theater to watch a new film, they expect something different from anything they have seen before. And when a story reveals itself far too early, the magic of the cinema is lost. With the director working on the sequel since Avatar's release in 2009, he has had more than enough time to craft a narrative that should surprise audiences.
With both Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang announced as returning to the Avatar franchise, and Lang reprising his role as Quaritch, the film has already surprised audiences before they have even stepped into the theater. The nature of the science-fiction genre, coupled with elements of fantasy, allow Cameron to break from the possible and delve into the realm of the impossible. With Avatar: The Way of the Water only a few months away from release, audiences do not have to wait much longer to see if they can predict Cameron's next chapter in the billion dollar franchise.