ROTTEN TOMATOES: James Cameron Talks Trilogies

James Cameron Talks Trilogies

by Scott Weinberg | July 07, 2006

While we all sit with bated breath and wonder when we'll get to see a new movie from James Cameron, the guy's hard at work cooking up new trilogy ideas. While attending a "Pirates 2" screening at Disney World, the mega-successful filmmaker discussed the possibility of doing his new projects as three-parters.

From IGN FilmForce: ""He's done two films back-to-back," said Cameron in awe, referring to the second and third films of the Pirates trilogy. "I have some plans in the future that may work the same way."

Those plans revolve around "Project 880/Avatar" and "Battle Angel," two highly ambitious science fiction projects that Cameron is planning after almost a decade since his last major motion picture, "Titanic." There's enough material in each for at least a trilogy of films, so that's what Cameron intends to make.

"I have two franchises, if you will, or films that play out over an arc of a number of films that I am going to be making. [I won't make them] back-to-back, but one after another. They, in turn, might spawn back-to-back sequels. It all depends on how the first one does."

Click here for the rest of the article at IGNFF.

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(1-20 of 20 posts) | Reply

lavatory love machine writes:
on Jul 07 2006 10:03 AM

you're not getting any younger, james, look at what happen with kubrick and his AI, he knew he was going to die before making it so he gave it to someone else

and you're movies are not old man' material, ou need your energy

(Reply to this)

PrecentorEpsilonXVI writes:
on Jul 07 2006 10:05 AM

I think this back to back thing is a really bad idea, personally. It worked for LotR because there were already stories with endings. When you make a movie that is designed to be a "continuing story", it gets really episodic and the viewer ends up disappointed. There really isn't an ending, and the story "design" (lots of small obsticles for the main character[s] building up to a large obsticle, then the wrap up - think of the first part of a rollercoaster) gets all out of wack. I think this is the main reason why the Matrix 2 and 3 did more poorly than 1, really.

I mean, come on, Cameron is a good enough director that he should be able to fandangle out of the company 3 seperate movies!

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Muddler writes:
on Jul 07 2006 10:41 AM

Back to back works where the movies are good, it doesn't work where they are bad. If you make 3 movies at once, you had better hope you get them all right or they will likely all be wrong. The 2nd and 3rd Matrix suffered from a million problems, not the least of which was that the 3rd couldn't better itself over the 2nd because they were done at the same time. Of course, I'm of the opinion that they should never have made sequels to the first Matrix because, frankly, the first one had an impossible story line (far too full of logic and science flaws to be able to explode into 2 more movies).

And here I submit another major flaw and advantage of doing 2 or 3 films at once - The major flaw is that it feeds right into the sequel mania that is killing American film. People, unique concepts - they're worth the effort. Stop making retreads and movies from old TV. The major advantage of shooting 2 or 3 is where there really is a story arc that would take too long to fit into one movie. In that way they aren't sequels, but continuations of the same story. Unfortunately, you create a tension between a large story arc and a need to keep each flick to standing on its own. Hey, playwrights have done it forever, so I guess film can do it too...maybe.

Anyway, a secret part of me hopes that Cameron really does do Aquaman.

(Reply to this)

dracus writes:
on Jul 07 2006 10:48 AM

Trilogies? Given how long it's been since he made Titanic, I'd settle for one movie at this point.

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sistrunk writes:
on Jul 07 2006 12:06 PM

I wish he would do another aliens movie. Aliens is the best science fiction movie ever made, and also the rare category of being better than the one before it.

(Reply to this)

Elessar Oronro writes:
on Jul 07 2006 12:54 PM

In reply to this comment (#839683)
That's a bold statement there, friend. I believe 2001 would be considered the best sci-fi film ever. Aliens might be the best sci-fi/action. Anywho...that's just nitpicking. I'd line up for three hours of James Cameron painting the walls of a house, that's how much I love his films.

(Reply to this)

taran72 writes:
on Jul 07 2006 02:25 PM

In reply to this comment (#839682)
Yeah - how about making ONE movie, you lunkhead.

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Decade_e_a writes:
on Jul 07 2006 02:28 PM

well it doesn't matter what he does because he will indeed make a )hopefully) terrific film and I can't wait because both of his "franchises" sound amazing. Oh and btw sistrunk, Alien was much better than Aliens. Even though Aliens had more action AND a good story, nothing will ever beat the horror/suspense of the first Alien film. Like the very end when shes in the ship and it's there and she didn't know it.... MAN that gets me every time!

Anyway.... GO JAMES CAMERON!

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ndrage85 writes:
on Jul 07 2006 03:30 PM

[b]Some of you need to re-read the story.[/b]
Before new people come in and continue bitching about making movies back-to-back, some of you might want to go re-read the story at the part where he specifically says he will not be making all 3 movies back-to-back. But instead he'll be making the first movie in each trilogy, and then if it's well recieved, he may film the next two back-to-back, which i think works perfectly fine with a man like Cameron. I think he can make it work. There are inherent problems with it, but from a business aspect it works better, and business is the bottom line in Hollywood...unfortunately. The Matrix is a bad example of two guys who didn't have a lot of experience under their belts. not to mention the fact that it was pretty much doomed without fans even realizing it since the brothers had most of the trilogy already planned out in their heads and parts of it physically written before the first movie was even released.

and my 2 cents on Alien/Aliens: I can't really name one being better then the other. They were almost in two seperate genres. Both were sci-fi, but the first was more suspense and the second was more action. Both excelled brilliantly in those genres and are probably the best in their respective categories. IMO.

(Reply to this)

dylan21484nj writes:
on Jul 07 2006 05:31 PM

the bastard has had Titanic on the brain for a decade. for a long while, i was beginning to wonder if he'd ever see a Cameron project that didn't involve the Titanic in some way, shape, or form. good to see it only took TEN YEARS to get it outta his system. obsess much, Jim?

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phill01 writes:
on Jul 07 2006 07:21 PM

Thats nice James- now if you would stop TALKING about all you great ideas and start FILMING them.

I am sick of always hearing about what he might do instead of what he is doing.

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eye_see writes:
on Jul 07 2006 08:31 PM

Maby he is afraid. I mean think about it. When your last major film is as succesful as Titanic was, it could be rather frightning to make another film. What ever he makes is going to be judged not just on regular film level, not even major hype levels, but will be judged on wether it can make as much mony as the last one, if not more.

That or maby he is just really really lazy. lol

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Reel 2/Dialogue 2 writes:
on Jul 07 2006 11:46 PM

In reply to this comment (#839687)
Finally, someone who actually READ the article.

I must admit, my enhusiasm is geared more toward [i]Battle Angel[/i] than [i]Avatar[/i], but only due to source familiarity. And I really hope he sticks with Joel McNeely for music duties.

(Reply to this)

UweBoll writes:
on Jul 09 2006 04:31 AM

I wonder if any movie is ever going to beat Titanic's box office, $600 millions if I remember right, with an opening box office of only $20 millions... It just kept going.

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sweet phil writes:
on Jul 09 2006 04:01 PM

In reply to this comment (#839692)
I dont know why so many people are mad at him that he he is possibly going to make trilogies, if the first ones do well. This lseems pretty reasonable to me. I have always been a fan of epic science fiction films, and these ideas seem pretty interesting so I am looking forward to his next movies

(Reply to this)

phranq writes:
on Jul 09 2006 06:43 PM

[b]Give Him A Break You Geeks![/b]
Amazing reading these comments stating that this guy 'owes' 'us' more movies to add to our geek DVD collections! Unreal.
Imagine what you would think of people you never met, who you do not work for in any way, commenting on your interests, actions, etc... ESPECIALLY when your past efforts EACH generated over $100 million easy.

Seriously, consider also..... Mr. Cameron went through a sad divorce at the SAME time the world made him "King Of The World". Divorce is tough. I could understand running off to the Atlantic with a new obsession... if I had the $$$$.

Either way, I agree with all my fellow Geeks; can't wait for a new J.C. flick.
Titanic VS. The Abyss: The IceBerg From Outer Space

Late

(Reply to this)

Flim Springfield writes:
on Jul 11 2006 05:08 PM

The movie editor union should file a complaint.

(Reply to this)

LinoBrocka writes:
on Jul 11 2006 11:34 PM

Just do something James. Anything. It's been such a long time.

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ssmithy writes:
on Jul 12 2006 12:28 PM

Someone needs to pop his imagination bubble stat. Get busy living or get busy dying!

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FILMCZY writes:
on Jul 12 2006 01:06 PM

Since Arnold won't be Governor much longer I'm up for TRUE LIES 2 and 3. Or is that TERMINATOR 6 and 7? Hell, I'll settle for PIRANHA 3 and 4.

(Reply to this)

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