But James Cameron would rather talk about his tiny little submarine
Recently, Disney announced that they will be opening a new theme park ride based on James Cameron’s 2009 classic, Avatar. The attraction, called “Pandora — The World of Avatar,” will be an immersive experience for visitors who will able to explore the world of the film they forgot about seven years ago.
When speaking about the attraction, James Cameron was very enthusiastic but seemed more focused on his submarine voyages than Avatar itself.
“I want to create a world that’s wide open to the visitors. It’s very important that they don’t feel constricted or closed up, not like when I’m in my submarine. Speaking of which, did you know that my submarine, Deepsea Challenger, is 24 feet long but has a pilot sphere that’s only 43 inches in diameter?” Cameron said.
Avatar fans who always wanted to ride dinosaur-birds from the movie will be excited to hear that they can do just that in Disney’s new attraction. Visitors can also take a boat ride down a special river that was probably in the movie and look at glowing plants. Cameron described the world saying, “The best way I can explain it is like being down in the Mariana Trench. It’s a whole new alien world. Have you ever been there? I went in my submarine if you didn’t know.”
The team in charge of building the attraction explained that almost everything in the world of Pandora has been custom designed and programmed to create the best, most unique experience for visitors. According to Cameron, “3D cameras! There’s 3D cameras on my submarine, can you believe that?”
James Cameron says that he’s wanted to create the world of Pandora ever since he came up with the concept. He stated that, “It’s so amazing seeing an idea in your head come to life and all the work that goes into it. It’s not easy building a submarine that can withstand that kind of pressure, but my team and I found a way to make it happen. It just goes to show how important it is to stay focused on the task at hand and not lose sight of what you’re working towards.”
When asked if his recent projects in deep sea exploration have made him lose any interest in Avatar, Cameron replied, “No way! Avatar’s great, always been my true passion. That submarine stuff is just a side project. But seriously though, if anyone hasn’t seen the documentary, Deepsea Challenge, definitely check it out. It’s all about my submarine and it’s in 3D. What’s not to love?”
“Pandora — The World of Avatar” has been set to open in May 2017. And for anyone who doesn’t remember what Avatar is, don’t worry, because James Cameron’s been working on four sequels that should be coming out any time now. He’s described the future of the franchise as being “almost as cool as the time I spent 10 hours crouched inside my submarine 30,000 feet underwater.” With a description like that, it’s hard not to get excited about what’s to come in the world of Avatar.
Will Cohan is a second your Cinema & Photography student who also has a tiny little submarine, but everyone keeps talking about James Cameron’s. You can reach them at [email protected]