20th Century Fox plans to offer a FREE 15 minute Sneak Peek of director James "Aliens" Cameron's newest 3D, IMAX feature "Avatar", August 21.
The film will officially open throughout North America December 18.
In addition on the 21st, Montreal-based Ubisoft will unveil the trailer for their videogame "James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game" and Mattel will reveal action figures for the film’s 'Avatar' and alien 'Na’vi' characters.
"...AVATAR takes us to a spectacular new world beyond our imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption, discovery and unexpected love, as he leads a heroic battle to save a civilization. The film was first conceived by Cameron 14 years ago, when the means to realize his vision did not yet exist. Now, after four years of actual production work, AVATAR delivers a fully immersive cinematic experience of a new kind, where the revolutionary technology invented to make the film, disappears into the emotion of the characters and the sweep of the story..."
At this year's San Diego Comic-Con, Cameron screened 25 minutes of clips at the SD Convention Center's Hall H. offering footage of the main character, played by actor Sam "Terminator 3" Worthington, who becomes a human/alien hybrid 'avatar' in a series of jungle battle scenes featuring prehistoric creatures.
The footage was presented by Fox Filmed Entertainment co-chairman Tom Rothman, who noted "moments likes these are rare for a movie company", as Fox footed the bill for the picture, reportedly budgeted between $230 and $300 million.
Director Cameron's blockbuster "Titanic" earned $1.8 billion theatrically.
Inspired by author Edgar Rice "Tarzan" Burroughs' "John Carter Of Mars" fantasy book series, "Avatar" is set during the 22nd century on a small moon called 'Pandora', inhabited by ten foot blue 'Na'vi' humanoids that are peaceful unless attacked. As humans cannot breathe Pandoran air, genetically engineered human/Na'vi hybrids known as 'Avatars' are produced that can be controlled via a mental link.
A paralyzed Marine named 'Jake Sully' (Sam Worthington) volunteers to exist as an Avatar on Pandora, falling in love with a Na'vi princess and becoming caught up in the conflict between her people and the human military that is consuming their world.
According to Cameron, the film is 60% computer-generated elements, and 40% live action.
To create the human mining colony on Pandora, production designers surveyed the 'Noble Clyde Boudreaux' drilling rig in the Gulf Of Mexico, filming every aspect of the rig, for replication on-screen with CGI.
Music score for "Avatar", is composed by James "Space Raiders" Horner, his third collaboration with Cameron after "Aliens" and "Titanic".
Horner recorded parts of the score with a small chorus singing in the alien language 'Na'vi', March 2008. He is also working with Wanda Bryant, an ethnomusicologist to create a music culture for the alien race.
Sneak Peek an interview with James Cameron about "Avatar", as well as trailers for the Cameron-directed "Aliens" and "Titanic"...
