SirLink
Well-Known Member
Comcast are winning as they are getting higher spending per guest. And at the end of the day that is the most important thing.
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AVATAR land - the specifics
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
Comcast are winning as they are getting higher spending per guest. And at the end of the day that is the most important thing.
And here I was thinking you had calmed down. My mistake....
And the 3rd largest bus system? Well, there's something to hang your hat on.
Mawg
Well-Known Member
Oh, interesting...Avatar specific news
GLaDOS
Well-Known Member
No. Cameron holds all the cards in this relationship, I'm sure. There's no way he's changing the story he has in mind for Disney.
tomman710
Well-Known Member
Agreed. He has the power and I might add that he'd actually have to have a story in mind for them to change ... he hasn't even
Just an FYI, I posted last week that I spoke to a couple of guys from ILM at SWCVI a couple of weeks ago and they said the Avatar sequels were delayed indefinitely due to budget constraints and the technology available today to deliver the films on budget. When asked how long they thought, they said "years".
Cameron was on CBS This Morning plugging Titanic on bluray and when asked when the Avatar sequels were coming out, he said "3 or 4 years". First, that tells you that there is no schedule for release (meaning they probably haven't put the films into production yet); and second that means 2015 at the earliest for Avatar 2.
It's purely speculation, but I'm still of the thought that Disney will keep Imagineers on this project for the next few years to placate Cameron and keep the development continuing. Once Disney gets a better sense of where the movies are going they'll either green light the project or cancel it. But I wouldn't expect to see anything substantial to happen until the movies actually start filming.
As for Avatar 4, Cameron has said that he hasn't even begun writing it yet. I imagine the state of all three films are much farther away than we realize.
Cameron was on CBS This Morning plugging Titanic on bluray and when asked when the Avatar sequels were coming out, he said "3 or 4 years". First, that tells you that there is no schedule for release (meaning they probably haven't put the films into production yet); and second that means 2015 at the earliest for Avatar 2.
It's purely speculation, but I'm still of the thought that Disney will keep Imagineers on this project for the next few years to placate Cameron and keep the development continuing. Once Disney gets a better sense of where the movies are going they'll either green light the project or cancel it. But I wouldn't expect to see anything substantial to happen until the movies actually start filming.
As for Avatar 4, Cameron has said that he hasn't even begun writing it yet. I imagine the state of all three films are much farther away than we realize.
jt04
Well-Known Member
So what you are saying in a roundabout way is FotLK is staying put. Right?
Sorry I just couldn't resist.
I do not buy into the idea that Cameron is not keeping Disney informed every step of the way. There is almost no hurdles left that would keep Cameron from executing any vision technically. If you can imagine it, then it can be put on film. Period. So I think the delay may be due to worry over the future of the economy which would effect financing more than anything. Worry over the economies future may also explain why Uni is rushing to finish their new adds before financing dries up completely.
WDW1974
Well-Known Member
Avatar 4 may well not happen at all. That's not from anything I read, that's from talking with people I know in the business. The second and third will be problematic enough and they aren't assured box office gold either.
Oh, and Disney has NO influence on Cameron. None. It is the other way around. And I've heard Joe Rohde is becoming chummy with him ... maybe he'll quit WDI and join Cameron's movie machine?
WDW1974
Well-Known Member
You have the situation distilled perfectly above.
I'd advise anyone who has any questions regarding the subject to simply stay away from the blather and drivel and redirect to your post!
ChrisM
Well-Known Member
Weta is, and has been, the lead effects house on the Avatar franchise. ILM has done some conceptual and mop up work, but they aren't really on the bleeding edge as to the latest development plan.
Last I heard the hold up was Cameron moving his entire production machine to New Zealand, so he can work more closely with Weta, and some associated property acquisition difficulties.
Virtual set dresser.
Sorry JT, nothing in your reply is true in any way. Even with pockets the size of Cameron's, budgets still need to be met. No one is going to bank roll a $500 mil film (not even Mr. Deep Pockets himself). That problem is amplified by the current state of the industry and bombs like John Carter.
The thing is, they're working new technology to bring the costs down. Yes, anything is possible. But it isn't possible to do anything you want without spending a ton of cash. ILM is working feverishly on the solution in order for Lucas to be able to bring his new live-action show to tv. From what I've heard, there are over 200 scripts written and they're just waiting for costs to come down. The tech is coming, it just isn't here yet.
So, if you're James Cameron, do you dig into your wallet to shell out the extra $200 mil or do you wait a couple of years when it'll be cheaper and virtually no risk to you personally. Considering you can use those couple of extra years to continue to develop the story, characters, design, etc., it's an easy choice. You wait.
As for FotLK, if you're TDO, you go ahead and move forward with relocating it. It doesn't fit where it is, and you're now ready to move on a moment's notice if and when they decide to green light Avatar (or the land is ready for a different attraction if Avatar gets cancelled). I'd bet the money is already in the budget anyway.
Either way, if you're Imagineering, you get concepts up and ready for TDO to look at in case the $500 mil they have ear-marked for Avatar is burning a hole in their pocket. My guess is that the money is already on the books, and TDO will want to spend it before it's yanked out from under them. They'll figure out how to pay for Avatar in five years, when it actually makes more sense to build it (or, they don't care because it will be someone else's problem to deal with).
That is absolutely true, but ILM develops the software that Weta uses. It is very possible they're working on the solutions together.
This may be a game-changer!!! :
"We're doing 'Avatar' films now, so we're making up an ocean ecosystem for Pandora," Cameron said, "That's gonna have less to do with the deep exploration that I've done than it has to do with my concerns about conservation of Earth's oceans. The fact that we're basically overfishing, climate change... a few degrees of temperature rise are gonna basically take out the coral reefs. All those beautiful images of the coral environments we all grew up with won't exist in 50 years at the rate we're going in terms of pumping greenhouse gases into the environment. These are the things that concern me."
"We're doing 'Avatar' films now, so we're making up an ocean ecosystem for Pandora," Cameron said, "That's gonna have less to do with the deep exploration that I've done than it has to do with my concerns about conservation of Earth's oceans. The fact that we're basically overfishing, climate change... a few degrees of temperature rise are gonna basically take out the coral reefs. All those beautiful images of the coral environments we all grew up with won't exist in 50 years at the rate we're going in terms of pumping greenhouse gases into the environment. These are the things that concern me."
jt04
Well-Known Member
I specifically pointed out that financing for the film may be the hold up for the films. Please remember that the only source for the rumor are our local "experts" who, for the most part, never liked the idea of the franchise coming to WDW in the first place. The same "experts" also universally critisize anything and everything happening at WDW. They want one thing and that is management heads to roll at TDO. Lee brought the spirit here after the AC closed for that specific purpose and he has said as much on several occasions. Everything coming from them must be taken with a grain of salt when discussing WDW.
Hmmm. So are you now backtracking? Was this a recent quote? Can you provide the source article? Is an apology in order? Will the people who said the films are in limbo apologize to us and screamscape?
And at least Cameron has admitted he is on a mission now and his films are
And just to add, the real threat to the oceans, in my opinion, is what gets dumped into rivers by nations who can't afford or refuse to keep their waterways clean.
cookiee_munster
Well-Known Member
apologies if it already been posted.
some avatar news from 9th Sept ~ http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=35136 (sorry the link option wont work for me)
some avatar news from 9th Sept ~ http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=35136 (sorry the link option wont work for me)
Good Gawd. I swear you only see things the way YOU want to see them. This says absolutely nothing about any new timetable for the films. The films are still in limbo. That doesn't mean, as I said in post earlier, that Cameron won't continue on development of the films – only that they haven't gone into production yet and are still years away from filming.
As for the article, it's from Superherohype.com and is from this morning. The reason it's a "game-changer" (that you missed completely) is that it means marine life may be coming to AK.
Beholder
Well-Known Member
Marine life represented in any form would be a game changer. Sci-fi/fantasy based, real, mythological or extinct (my favorite) would create a whole new dimension to this park. Of course it would all depend on the execution, but done with a good budget and great vision, it could be a home run. I've always been fascinated with aquatic environments and I'd love to see one depicted within AK. Not an aquarium like The Seas, but something a bit more ambitious.
That's exactly it. It would give WDW finally something to compete with Sea World (not that SW is much competition, but it is a much needed niche that WDW is currently missing).
My only concern would be how they would bring real creatures into the fantasy world of Avatar. Honestly, I'd much rather see real marine life at AK than some kind of fantasy thing.
yensidtlaw1969
Well-Known Member
Perhaps I should have put "winning" in quotes . . . I was just continuing with the boxing metaphor jt04 had set up, not implying that there is some contest to be won between WDW and Universal. I do feel that currently, the show quality standards being met by Universal's new attractions exceeds those of Walt Disney World, which I find unfortunate. Ultimately, what matters to me as a customer is where I feel my money is better spent. I feel my money is better spent taking me to a place where I can experience the best in beautifully designed and well maintained attractions, shows and theming. Because of this I have been trending toward Disneyland in recent years rather than Walt Disney World.
Does Walt Disney World have more to do than Disneyland and Universal Studios? Yes, but for my money I'd prefer quality over quantity. I'm still happy to give my dollars to the Walt Disney Company (hence why I've been visiting Disneyland instead of Universal Studios Florida, even though it's slightly less convenient for me to get to. I find the hassle to be worth it in the end) because I feel when Disney is "swinging for the fences" they achieve a result that I prefer to that of Universal.
WDW is not playing their best "game", and I see it as a customer. WDW history and present Disneyland shows that the Walt Disney Company has a better product to offer their theme parks than the one they are currently putting out in Florida. Until they start offering that product there, I'll go where I can get it.
Hope I didn't keep you waiting all that long for my response . . . rest assured that I'll be here for as long as I feel I have something to add to the conversation.