If there’s one frequent argument that comes up with James Cameron’s “Avatar” movies, it’s from longtime fans who wish he had time to do other things.
Cameron isn’t getting any younger, and the last non-“Avatar” scripted film he directed was “Titanic” way back in 1997, and his last documentary film was “Aliens of the Deep” back in 2005.
Cameron has produced a few films since then, but the upcoming “Ghosts of Hiroshima” will mark his first time behind the camera on a non-“Avatar” project in many years.
In a recent discussion with Rolling Stone, the veteran filmmaker was asked why he has dedicated essentially two decades (if not more) of his life to building the “Avatar” universe. He says the main reason was for human connection:
“I’ve justified making Avatar movies to myself for the last 20 years, not based on how much money we made, but on the basis that hopefully it can do some good, it can help connect us, it can help connect us to our lost aspect of ourselves that connects with nature and respects nature and all those things.
Do I think that movies are the answer to our human problems? No, I think they’re limited because people sometimes just want entertainment, and they don’t want to be challenged in that way. I think Avatar is a Trojan horse strategy that gets you into a piece of entertainment, but then works on your brain and your heart a little bit in a way.”
The two entries in the “Avatar” franchise so far have garnered a combined $5.24 billion. The Cameron-directed “Avatar: Fire and Ash” hits this December with two more films on the cards for 2029 and 2031.
