What's Inside?
- James Cameron rewatched The Way of Water to maintain thematic consistency and prepare audiences for the upcoming Avatar: Fire and Ash.
- He believes AI can reduce VFX costs but should not replace human screenwriters, directors, or actors in storytelling.
- Future Avatar films focus on aspirational worlds, balancing human darkness and light while addressing environmental and technological challenges.
James Cameron rarely looks back at his films once they hit theaters. “I usually have a moratorium of a couple of years where I just don’t want to think about it,” he explains. “There’s a certain point when you’ve been away from where you could start to be more of an audience and less of a picky filmmaker.” The exception came with 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water, as he prepared for the third installment, Avatar: Fire and Ash.
James Cameron on AI and the Sacred Creative Act
While James Cameron embraces innovation in filmmaking, he draws a firm line when it comes to artificial intelligence. Speaking to IGN, he stated, “I don’t want an AI model to write my scripts. Any good screenwriter has a particular lens on the world, a unique lived experience, and that’s what they’re there to express. That’s what directors do. That’s what actors do.”
Cameron acknowledges AI’s potential but warns against its overreach in creative processes. “I think Gen AI does offer a lot of potentialities and a lot of threats to our creative purpose in life. I don’t think what’s going to ultimately change for me is storytelling with actors.” He envisions AI primarily as a tool to reduce costs in high-end visual effects, making blockbuster films like Avatar more feasible. “If we could use Generative AI to bring costs down in VFX, then more films like Avatar could be made,” he says, highlighting a practical rather than philosophical role for the technology.
Looking ahead to Avatar 4 and 5, Cameron refuses to predict the distant future of Earth in his films. Instead, he focuses on creating worlds that are aspirational and reflective of human potential. “These films are about the darkness and the light that exists within us… We’re on the cusp of an AI revolution right now. Climate change is actually coming to a head… We could have a thriving civilization. It could be nothing but cockroaches and tumbleweeds.”
Revisiting The Way of Water Before Fire and Ash
For Cameron, rewatching The Way of Water wasn’t just nostalgia—it was a necessity. “We’re going through the finish of the VFX now… and I want to be thematically consistent about the way music was used and underscore during dialogue scenes and things like that. So I have rewatched it. It’s a pretty good ride, I have to say!” The sequel, which earned $2.3 billion worldwide, continues the story of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) as they navigate family life sixteen years after the original Avatar. Their clan, now including five children and a quasi-adopted human son, Spider (Jack Champion), faces renewed threats from Col. Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), who returns in a Na’vi avatar.
Fans can experience The Way of Water on the big screen again starting October 3, ahead of Fire and Ash. The re-release serves as a bridge, letting audiences refresh their memories while maintaining the thematic and visual continuity Cameron emphasizes for the franchise.
For Cameron, filmmaking remains a deeply human pursuit, a balance of artistry, vision, and technological innovation. His approach reminds audiences that while tools may evolve, the heart of storytelling will always belong to human creators.
