AVATAR Update: Sequels Pushed Back 1 Year - Cameron Buys Giant Studios - Further Insight From Source!!

Cameron in Wellington, NZ - Jan 12, 2014. Peter Jackson in background.

Well I had heard rumors that this was happening, but nothing was solid enough to publish so I let it slide. Now it is official and James Cameron has pushed back the AVATAR sequels 1 year. AVATAR 2 is now slated to screen around Christmas 2017.

So what does this mean? It means the movies are technically complex. It means the stories may not be as complete as previously thought.

So let's talk about it being technically complex. How about complex enough for Cameron to go out and buy Atlanta based Giant Studios? Yes you heard right - Lightstorm Entertainment is going to close down that facility and take their intellectual property in house, including Giant's talented creative team. This is a big deal folks. Giant was a world leader in motion capture technology and this gives Cameron a tremendous sandbox with which to play in - with more autonomy.

Now here's where I have gotten some information from a top source that plugs into this. As you know by now, extensive amounts of AVATAR 2 will be underwater (as of now of course - another year can bring about changes). My source says Cameron will be shooting scenes based on a triage of complexity: The harder scenes will be done first to allow ample time for post-production. That means mo-cap / perf-cap. There is a tremendous amount of mo-cap to be done and this is where Giant's talent comes in. Cameron now has an army of experts at his beck and call. Plus he has consulted with Andy Serkis' The Imaginarium for the use of some advanced techniques. It's all very exciting! However it is also time consuming and thus the delay. Shooting mo-cap for underwater scenes is going to be very tricky and has got to be done right. Better than right - James Cameron right.

Let's talk story. My source says there will be the exploration and magical moments, but there is also the retribution of corporate Earth and Stephen Lang. His words: "It's going to be the most elaborate  production in cinema history, bar none." I believe him. He's one of my top sources and besides - Cameron with an astronomical budget will deliver far and above our expectations, I'm sure. He always has.

I'll have more for you as soon as I can. Some of this is breaking news - other bits are just nicely plugging in now. It is certainly a clearer picture - but too bad for audiences, it'll be another year to wait.

Sources: AP | Variety | Deadline
Photo: AP / Nick Perry

Hobbit Featurette: The Making Of The Trolls And The Giant Cavern Of The Goblin King! Friday Numbers Are In!

Take a look at this very cool featurette of how Peter Jackson's creative geniuses have crafted the very realistic trolls and Goblin King Caverns in THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY.

I thought the scenes mentioned in this featurette were among the best of the movie and certainly bears the time it takes to watch this thing.

My review of THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY is coming later today (Sunday) so stay tuned.

World wide reaction to the movie has been amazingly good: Friday totals are in at $37.5 million pointing at a $100 million weekend - easily a new record. A $200 million worldwide tally is certainly possible as well by Monday morning!

So here's the featurette! Enjoy!!

Quick Post: Giant Studios' Paradigm Shift AND A Question...

Jim here. Just a quick note about a fine article about Giant Studios over on The Hollywood Reporter: Read it.

I originally spoke about Giant back in the fall of last year and how they are paving new ground in motion capture technology and services (they tend to focus on full body motion capture as opposed to facial 'performance capture'). They built and serviced 'The Volume' for James Cameron's AVATAR. It is all very exciting - a paradigm shift for Hollywood if you will.

So after reading the THR's column I have a question for you - the same I asked last fall:

Who owns the rights to the actor's performances and the subsequent data that has been generated from it? Can a studio re-purpose that data at a later date on an entirely different project? Or is it the actor who has the right to assign where this data goes?

I want your opinion!

Know Motion Builder? Weta Looking For TDs For Tintin

Steven Spielberg and Weta are looking for applicants who know Motion Builder for the motion capture based movie TINTIN:

Weta Digital is looking for LA-based artists with experience in Motion Builder for a limited period shoot (Tintin). Immediate start. Applicants should be technically competent and comfortable working within a team that is processing a high-volume of data (that's an understatement!).

The position involves:
Integrating post-processed motion capture data and into virtual environments.
Developing motion-montages for virtual camera work (Experience using the Story tool is a plus)
Generating and checking rendered media.

Please contact:
Ben Murray (bmurray@wetafx.co.nz)
Meredith Meyer-Nichols (mkmn@wetafx.co.nz)

So if you have the creds - what are earth are you waiting for?