AVATAR land coming to Disney's Animal Kingdom

[SleepingMonk]

...and maybe...JUST MAYBE...once Lucas sees how incredible Avatar is (if it truly is as I'm hoping)...he'll jump at the chance to have a land for himself.

Lucas would want 30 more years to develop it and 100% of the merch.

 

[tomman710]

Some info beginning to trickle in via sympathetic vibrations from the west coast. Trust me to share:

- The Avatar deal was Iger's baby. He wanted it and had Staggs put it together.

This was my ultimate problem with the announcement. Had you replaced Iger's name with a truly creative mind like Lassiter or Rhode or perhaps another name known for pushing creativity, imagination, and ingenuity before just dollar signs then I would have been excited.

This is the fact that should make Disney fans, like AVATAR or not, concerned and confused about the announcement.

However ... maybe with Iger's push it gets more done and faster than if TDO was left to itself ... again ... this is why the confusion is warranted.

 

[ChrisFL]

Lucas would want 30 more years to develop it and 100% of the merch.

And he would probably want to make edits to it every few years....adding random "NooooOOOOOoooo"s in places and stuff

 

[FigmentJedi]

The only memorable character is the evil Colonel. Highlight of the film for many people, particularly those who would hate how "Mary Sue-ish" the Na'vi were portrayed. But of course, he's dead and probably won't be in this.

 

[_Scar]

The only memorable character is the evil Colonel. Highlight of the film for many people, particularly those who would hate how "Mary Sue-ish" the Na'vi were portrayed. But of course, he's dead and probably won't be in this.

And those blue things. :lookaroun

 

[Magenta Panther]

And those blue things. :lookaroun

Yeah. Heaven forbid Disney builds walk-around suits of those things. They'd scar little kids for life. Cuddly blue Smurfs they're not!

 

[devoy1701]

The only memorable character is the evil Colonel. Highlight of the film for many people, particularly those who would hate how "Mary Sue-ish" the Na'vi were portrayed. But of course, he's dead and probably won't be in this.

I think both Jake and his Na'vi GF were memorable as well...along with Sigourney's character...but she's dead too...even though she's apparently coming back for #2?

I would love for AA's or other mechanical figures to be incorporated into the actual environment for this Land to simulate some of the more "peaceful" native wildlife (ie: the little florescent flying things and those spiral plants that Jake was messing with). I could also see there being viewing areas much like the rest of AK where they could use large AAs (such as on the scale of Triceritops Encounter at Jarassic Park) to simulate the larger beings on the planet. Btw...here is a perfect example of how far the franchise needs to go still since I for one am unable to give proper names to these things.

I could definitely see/hope for photo op areas of a reconstructed area of the miltary base and those Mech Warrior things (sort of like how DHS has the Land Speeder available for photos).

 

[cookiee_munster]

Some info beginning to trickle in via sympathetic vibrations from the west coast. Trust me to share:

- Joe Rohde was not brought onboard until rather late in the game. I don't like the sound of that. He knew before last week, but was not consulted at the beginning at all. His feelings...not yet known.

If feel quite sad that Joe had been left in the dark for quite some time. i really can't see him being excited about this announcement at all, i just hope he can create something just as beautiful and immersive as all his other stuff.

i still think this should have gone to EPCOT. possibly a living with the land revitalisation. ah well.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I would hope that there is a large indoor attraction where we encounter many of these mythical animals. The Dinosaur/Indy system could work for this, but I would hope that's not what they use. I would love to see a family friendly dark ride as one of the additions.

 

[ChrisM]

This was my ultimate problem with the announcement. Had you replaced Iger's name with a truly creative mind like Lassiter or Rhode or perhaps another name known for pushing creativity, imagination, and ingenuity before just dollar signs then I would have been excited.

I'd argue that Cameron is more creative than Rhode and Lassiter put together.

And I'd be right.

 

[imagineer boy]

The only memorable character is the evil Colonel. Highlight of the film for many people, particularly those who would hate how "Mary Sue-ish" the Na'vi were portrayed. But of course, he's dead and probably won't be in this.

Except you knew he was going to be the evil bad guy the very second he stepped on screen. :lol:

 

[FigmentJedi]

Except you knew he was going to be the evil bad guy the very second he stepped on screen. :lol:

Sure he was a ridiculously obvious baddie, but after seeing so much "The Na'vi are inherently superior to the pitiful humans that must go back to their dying planet and screw off" crap, you kinda want to see someone go Warhammer 40K on their furry blue behinds.

That lack of balancing out the portrayals of the aliens and humanity is the film's biggest weakpoint, which other "Man vs Nature" stories like Princess Mononoke managed to avoid by showing each side had their moral strengths and weaknesses.

 

[xdan0920]

I'd argue that Cameron is more creative than Rhode and Lassiter put together.

And I'd be right.

Really?

 

[devoy1701]

Sure he was a ridiculously obvious baddie, but after seeing so much "The Na'vi are inherently superior to the pitiful humans that must go back to their dying planet and screw off" crap, you kinda want to see someone go Warhammer 40K on their furry blue behinds.

That lack of balancing out the portrayals of the aliens and humanity is the film's biggest weakpoint, which other "Man vs Nature" stories like Princess Mononoke managed to avoid by showing each side had their moral strengths and weaknesses.

definitely agree with you here. I don't remember if we received a "year" that this film was supposed to be taking place. But it seemed like despite all of the Trials and Tribulations that humans have experienced in their history with events such as WWII, the Relocation of Native Americans, etc...that the humans portrayed in this movie forgot about all of that/didn't make the connection between what they were doing on Pandora versus those events I mentioned...new planet, new slate...we can relearn what is right and wrong all over again. The movie has a great conservation/harmony with nature message, but not so much from the point of view of humans. :lookaroun

 

[CrescentLake]

definitely agree with you here. I don't remember if we received a "year" that this film was supposed to be taking place. But it seemed like despite all of the Trials and Tribulations that humans have experienced in their history with events such as WWII, the Relocation of Native Americans, etc...that the humans portrayed in this movie forgot about all of that/didn't make the connection between what they were doing on Pandora versus those events I mentioned...new planet, new slate...we can relearn what is right and wrong all over again. The movie has a great conservation/harmony with nature message, but not so much from the point of view of humans. :lookaroun

Not sure if I agree with that. While I tend to have an optimistic out look on human nature and human capacity to accept different races and religions (I'm 19, so thats probably why :shrug, you have to look at how much we blatantly ignore our history. And even if you don't look at that, the movie gives a pretty good explanation for it: the Nav'i aren't human. It's the personification of the (false) justification that we as humanity used during the relocation of the native americans, the holocaust, and slavery- since this particular group "isn't human" we can kill them/enslave them/move them.

I think that makes a little sense... :lookaroun

 

[Pioneer Hall]

definitely agree with you here. I don't remember if we received a "year" that this film was supposed to be taking place. But it seemed like despite all of the Trials and Tribulations that humans have experienced in their history with events such as WWII, the Relocation of Native Americans, etc...that the humans portrayed in this movie forgot about all of that/didn't make the connection between what they were doing on Pandora versus those events I mentioned...new planet, new slate...we can relearn what is right and wrong all over again. The movie has a great conservation/harmony with nature message, but not so much from the point of view of humans. :lookaroun

I believe the year was 2148.

 

[ChrisM]

I'd argue that Cameron is more creative than Rhode and Lassiter put together.

And I'd be right.

Really?

Yes. Really.

I have the distinct impression not too many folks here know a whole lot about James Cameron.

Besides his obvious recognition as winning countless awards as a director, screenwriter, and visual effects expert (notably the Terminator movies, Aliens, Titanic, The Abyss, and Avatar - I believe his movies have over 20 Academy Awards to their credit) he also has created his own filiming technologies and pioneered several deep sea diving and filming technologies used in collaboration with his several IMAX and 3D documentary efforts. Most recently he's a member of the NASA Advisory Council and is on the science team of the Mars Science Laboratory mission (largely the Curiosity rover).

And that's just off the top of my head.

 

[WDWmazprty]

Yes. Really.

I have the distinct impression not too many folks here know a whole lot about James Cameron.

Besides his obvious recognition as winning countless awards as a director, screenwriter, and visual effects expert (notably the Terminator movies, Aliens, Titanic, The Abyss, and Avatar - I believe his movies have over 20 Academy Awards to their credit) he also has created his own filiming technologies and pioneered several deep sea diving and filming technologies used in collaboration with his several IMAX and 3D documentary efforts. Most recently he's a member of the NASA Advisory Council and is on the science team of the Mars Science Laboratory mission (largely the Curiosity rover).

And that's just off the top of my head.

Right. Its interesting to think how much of WDW might have been different if Cameron was hired as an imagineer way back when.

 

[tomman710]

I'd argue that Cameron is more creative than Rhode and Lassiter put together.

And I'd be right.

The comparison was irrelevant to my point.

My point was who was the driving force behind the decision in Disney. From the moment the announcement was made it was clear that the driving force was either/or both of ... reaction to snatch up a property to compete with Potter and/or the bottom line watchers reacting solely to Avatar's box office intake. (Not that that shouldn't be a factor ... but ... in either case its not the creative department, it would be finance or marketing.)

I'm not saying it's doomed or even that we should hate it sight unseen but I do think it's pause for concern that the driving force behind this decision was not a "creative" mind at Disney but rather essentially a bean counter.

Sure, Cameron is creative ... although I'd argue Cameron is mostly an innovator and/or initiator than creator his most major films are technical marvels but not highly creative ... i.e. a sequel to an already existing property (Aliens), a movie about a historical event with a generic love story thrown in (Titanic), and a blatant Pocahontas, Dances with Wolves, Ferngully (with large Bulldozers!) rip off with pretty visuals (Avatar) ...

That being said The Abyss and Terminator 2 are great films and all the films mentioned above, with the obvious exception of Avatar are really good films.

The biggest thing that rightly should have Disney fans excited, moreso than his arguable creativity, is his passion/drive/initative to push technical boundaries and innovation of tech ... this could alone could make this marriage a huge win depending on ... the key question ... how much will he be invovled with the project, how passionate are the imagineers about this project ...

So again I am not saying "Death to AvatarLand" or anything overtly negative, besides my obvious distaste for the first film, but I am saying it's interesting that now its clear that in Disney the creative minds were not involved; that fact alone merits some confusion as to the intitial questions of why Avatar, why an entire land, and why now after only a little over a year of only one film?

I think this could make an amazing attractions, I do, but I think at this point there are some big and justified fan concerns and confusion.

 

[Kamikaze]

Yes. Really.

I have the distinct impression not too many folks here know a whole lot about James Cameron.

Besides his obvious recognition as winning countless awards as a director, screenwriter, and visual effects expert (notably the Terminator movies, Aliens, Titanic, The Abyss, and Avatar - I believe his movies have over 20 Academy Awards to their credit) he also has created his own filiming technologies and pioneered several deep sea diving and filming technologies used in collaboration with his several IMAX and 3D documentary efforts. Most recently he's a member of the NASA Advisory Council and is on the science team of the Mars Science Laboratory mission (largely the Curiosity rover).

And that's just off the top of my head.

Sounds a lot like someone who's name is very familiar on this site.

However, accomplishments do not directly equate to creativity.