James Cameron’s Avatar is a landmark in cinematic history for various reasons. The movie connected to viewers on so many levels that the director had to scrap scripts while making the sequel Avatar: The Way of Water in order to just match the vibe of the original movie. And as any good piece of cinema does, Avatar also made many fans wonder whether the theme in any way connects to the director’s previous work. Cameron especially has a track record of delivering box office blockbusters with underlying themes of colonization, climate change, and spirituality. In a recent interview with Empire Magazine, when the auteur was inquired whether Avatar has any connection to his 1989 feature The Abyss, the filmmaker revealed how the themes connect.
Cameron’s Academy Award-winning movie The Abyss is set underwater and also deals with an alien species. The movie stars Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn and follows a US search and recovery team that is tasked with recovering an American submarine that sunk in the Caribbean. Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow put forward the question to Cameron about whether The Abyss and Avatar are set in the same universe. The director revealed, “Just the universe of my brain. And obviously, I love bioluminescence. From early childhood on I’ve had a deep awe and fascination with all the wonders of nature, both above and below water. That’s certainly what drove the creation of Avatar.”
He further explained that with The Abyss, he had a different motivation. “It was my version of The Day The Earth Stood Still, a function of my Cold War angst, and a comment on how an alien super-intelligence might judge rather harshly the way we mistreat each other and our beautiful world.” On the other hand, Avatar takes us to the mystical world of Pandora, where we find humans trying to excavate Na’vi’s valuable mineral unobtanium. Cameron explained, “In Avatar, we are the invaders from space, and the common theme with The Abyss is that we are judged harshly by a more evolved alien culture, in that case, the Na’vi, who live in a harmony with nature in a way that we have forgotten.”
Now, The Way of Water is set to take us back to Pandora, where the story of the Sully family unfolds as troubles follow them, and will show the lengths they go to keep each other safe. Returning cast members include Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao, Matt Gerald and Sigourney Weaver. While Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, and Brendan Cowell round up a new star cast.
Avatar: The Way of Water is set for December 16. You can check out the trailer below:
