Merrick here...
THIS article in Variety discusses James Cameron's plans now that AVATAR is more or less out of the way. From what I can tell, this Variety piece follows-up MTV's original break of the FANTASTIC VOYAGE portion of the following (HERE).
Several interesting tidbits:
Essentially, Variety pointedly evokes the specter of AVATAR sequels - referring to " a new pair of “Avatars.” This isn't the first time we've heard of this possibility but this may, however, be the first substantive hint we've had that said sequels might arrive sooner than later (which, in Cameron terms, could still be a decade or two away).
Cameron talked up two potential sequels during a press conference before Thursday’s London premiere.
“When I pitched it to Fox, they said, ‘We’ve spent a lot of money creating all these assets, all these CG mountains, plants, trees, leaves, flowers, bugs’ — everything you saw up there on screen had been made by people at workstations over a period of years and so they have value,” said Cameron, who told the assembled U.K. media outlets that he has worked out the story for a second and third film.
Both MTV and Variety also indicate that Cameron may soon be ramping up FANTASTIC VOYAGE, the on-again, off-again re-make/re-adaptation of Richard Fleischer's 1966 inner-body opus (available HERE
), which itself was adapted from a book by Isaac Asimov (find it HERE
).
Although Cameron has never expressed interest in helming the pic — which centers on a dying scientist whose only chance for survival rests with five colleagues who are miniaturized and injected into his bloodstream — he would employ the same pricey 3-D and digital technology on “Fantastic” that was used in “Avatar,” insiders say.
[EDIT]
As for “Fantastic Voyage,” Fox will next need to find a director. Roland Emmerich had been attached to the project before he set his sights on the apocalyptic “2012.” Lately, Indian helmer Tarsem Singh has been rumored as a candidate.
I certainly wouldn't mind revisiting the AVATAR universe. As for FANTASTIC VOYAGE? As long as they find someone who can fill a like Raquel Welch? I'm in...
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