While “Deadpool 3” is gearing up to be Marvel’s first big attempt at tackling mutants, their upcoming “Fantastic Four” reboot is also going to be a real challenge as it’ll be the first proper hard reboot of the Fox era. The studio is said to be zeroing in on casting the four leading roles, and the latest update on the film is a bit of a switch-up on who is writing the script.

Continue reading ‘Fantastic Four’: Marvel Enlists ‘Avatar 2’ Scribe Josh Friedman To Help With Reboot at The Playlist.

No surprise here: “Avatar: The Way Of Water” continues to surge ahead commercially. Variety reports that James Cameron‘s blockbuster moved past the director “Tiantic” on the highest-grossing movies of all time list to #3 over the weekend. That makes three James Cameron movies with over a $2 billion worldwide gross: 2009’s “Avatar” at $2.923 billion; “The Way of Water” at $2.2432 billion; and “Titanic” with $2.2428 billion.

Continue reading James Cameron Eyes ‘The Last Train From Hiroshima’ After ‘Avatar 3’ at The Playlist.

Where will “Avatar: The Way Of Water” end up on the highest-grossing movie of all time list? It currently sits at #4 with a $2.13 billion total gross, just shy of “Titanic” at $2.19 billion. Looking ahead, “Water” overtaking “Titanic” (no pun intended) feels inevitable. But looking further than that, where will the upcoming “Avatar” sequels land on that all-time list when they hit theaters in 2024, 2026, and 2028?

Continue reading ‘Avatar’ Producer Jon Landau Teases Details On Upcoming Sequels, Like Oona Chaplin Playing Leader Of Na’vi Fire Tribe & A “Big Time Jump” In ‘Avatar 4’ at The Playlist.

Well, James Cameron naysayers, it’s time to admit defeat. Variety reports that “Avatar: The Way Of Water” now sits at #5 in the all-time box office gross rankings with $2.054 billion globally. That pushes Cameron’s sequel past 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War” and its $2.052 billion. The sequel’s latest leap in the standings also gives Cameron three of the five most commercially successful films of all time, with “Avatar” at #1 with 2.92 billion and “Titanic” at $2.19 billion.  

Continue reading James Cameron Has Now Directed 3 Of The 5 Highest-Grossing Films Ever As ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ Surges Past ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ at The Playlist.

Over the past month, the conversation around “Avatar: The Way of Water” has shifted from, “Will it make money?” to “How much money will it make?” James Cameron‘s much-anticipated — or much-derided, depending on where you sit in the contemporary culture wars — was always expected to make money, but everyone has been shocked at its impact at the global box office. Once it became clear that the movie was going to outperform even its most ambitious expectations, the only question became whether this movie could possibly topple the original “Avatar.” And while that remains an open question, in at least one regard, Cameron’s sequel has already proven itself ahead of the pace.

Continue reading ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Hits $2B At Global Box Office Faster Than ‘Avatar’ at The Playlist.

Vin Diesel just loves being part of big things. Even when he was already attached to be Groot in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” the actor was lobbying and teasing that he might star in an “Inhumans” film. And yes, a while ago, when he was touring the set of “Avatar: The Way of Water,” he posted a video that made it seem like he would show up in that franchise as well.

Continue reading No, Vin Diesel Won’t Be In An ‘Avatar’ Film Despite Teasing That He Would at The Playlist.

“Avatar: The Way of Water” has only been out in theaters less than a full month, and the film has already earned well over $1.73 billion worldwide. It’s an astonishing number and a total that will likely well exceed $2 billion in just a matter of a couple of weeks. Needless to say, James Cameron has to be celebrating his latest success, and at last night’s Golden Globes, he got the chance to do just that, while also taking a quick jab at streaming services.

Continue reading James Cameron Is Excited By People Going To The Theater To See ‘Avatar 2’: “Enough With The Streaming Already!” at The Playlist.

As soon as James Cameron and 20th Century Fox announced four more “Avatar” films following the juggernaut success of the original movie, naysayers immediately doubted audiences’ appetite for more. But as usual, Cameron has proved the skeptics wrong. “Avatar: The Way of Water” has already cleared $1.5 billion plus at the global box office and became the highest-grossing film of 2022 after surpassing “Top Gun: Maverick” for the title.

Continue reading James Cameron Says ‘Avatar 2’ Will Break Even: “I’m Gonna Have To Do The Sequels” at The Playlist.

As “Avatar: The Way Of Water” continues to rake at the global box office, it’s a good chance that James Cameron completes his vision and makes “Avatar” movies through 2028. But if he could work on something else, what would be it? According to the latest episode of Kim Master‘s “The Business” podcast, Cameron would love to return to the world of “Alita: Battle Angel,” and possibly do so on streaming.

Continue reading James Cameron Says He “Hopes” To Revisit The ‘Alita: Battle Angel’ Franchise & Possibly For Streaming at The Playlist.

As we detailed extensively in our Biggest Entertainment Stories Of 2022 & What’s Next feature from late last year, while riding high for years and seemingly the future of the film and television industry, the bubble burst on streaming last year. The shortest version of that story? Netflix stock tumbled in early 2022, and then in April, the streamer announced it had lost subscribers for the first time in more than a decade, its stock plunged heavily, and the company quickly scrambled to go to an ad-model-tier subscription model.

Continue reading James Cameron: Studios Panicked & Threw “Stupid Money” At Streaming, Calling It “An Unsustainable Ponzi Scheme” at The Playlist.

Slow and steady wins the race, especially if you’re James Cameron and the world always seems to be skeptical about your chances. It’s been said never to bet against Cameron. Still, pundits were doing just that in the first-week opening of “Avatar: The Way Of Water,” when it opened to $134 million domestically, far less than the early $170 million projections. Box Office watchers and armchair film analysts quickly said Cameron and the “Avatar” franchise were in trouble.

Continue reading ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ Beats Out ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ As The #1 Grossing Film Of 2022 Worldwide at The Playlist.

As “Avatar: The Way Of Water” continues to soar at the box office, the adage “don’t bet against James Cameron” proves correct. The first sequel to Cameron’s 2009 smash hit likely crosses the $1.5 billion gross barrier today. And with reports that the film is already close to breaking even, the “Avatar” franchise’s future looks secure. But will “The Way Of Water” surpass the $2.923 billion mark of “Avatar,” as Cameron wants?

Continue reading ‘Avatar’: James Cameron Says ‘Avatar 3’ Will Introduce An Antagonistic, Fire-Based Na’Vi Clan Called The Ash People at The Playlist.

Before the release of “Avatar: The Way of Water,” James Cameron made a lot of headlines after declaring his new film would need to be one of the Top 5 highest-grossing films of all time just to break even. Many took that quote and extrapolated that Cameron wanted ‘The Way of Water’ to hit $2 billion to become profitable during its theatrical run. Well, it would appear that the filmmaker was overestimating the numbers, and in fact, the “Avatar” sequel will likely become profitable in just a matter of several more days. 

Continue reading ‘Avatar 2’ Reportedly Close To Breaking Even Already As Film Continues To Dominate Box Office at The Playlist.

After two weeks in theaters, James Cameron‘s “Avatar: The Way Of Water” passed $1.1 billion at the global box office. A strong start, but will it reach Cameron’s desired gross of matching or surpassing the 2009 film’s 2.923 billion gross? Only time will tell. But the future of the “Avatar” franchise hinges on the financial success of “The Way of Water.” If the new sequel fails, Cameron stated that the other “Avatar” sequels he has in development after “Avatar 3” might not move forward.  

READ MORE: ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ Review: James Cameron’s Sequel Is Blockbuster Filmmaking At Its Biggest & Best

However, if”The Way Of Water” succeeds at its lofty box office goals, the 68-year-old Cameron may make “Avatar” movies for the rest of his career.

Continue reading James Cameron Is OK If He Doesn’t Make More Non-‘Avatar’ Films: “I Can Tell Most Of The Stories I Want” On Pandora at The Playlist.

When you think of a classic James Cameron action film, such as “Terminator,” “T2: Judgment Day,” “True Lies,” and definitely “Aliens,” you think about huge, violent action set pieces with lots and lots of guns. Today, Cameron is a different type of filmmaker, especially when it comes to gun violence, and he’s not sure if he could ever go back to the type of action he did previously.

Continue reading James Cameron Doesn’t Think He’d Make ‘Terminator’ Today Due To The Excessive Gun Violence at The Playlist.

Never bet against James Cameron, they said. And while “Avatar: The Way Of Water” got off to somewhat of a slow box office start—or at least it fell under some of the early projections which made pundits quickly skeptical of its chances—the Cameron maxim seems to be coming true. After just 14 days in theaters, “Avatar: The Way Of Water” has crossed the $1 billion mark at the global box office.

Continue reading ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ Hits $1 Billion At The Global Box Office, Becoming The 6th Fastest Movie To Hit That Mark at The Playlist.

It’s no secret that James Cameron wants the world of Pandora in his “Avatar” franchise to look as realistic as possible. But it’s not all about digital verisimilitude for the director; it’s a practical feature in casting, too. Hence one of the reasons why Cameron shot “Avatar: The Way Of Water,” “Avatar 3,” and part of the upcoming fourth film at the same time: he didn’t want young actor Jack Champion to have a growth spurt on him in between films.

Continue reading ‘Avatar’: James Cameron Shot Nearly 3 Films To Avoid The “’Stranger Things’ Effect” Of Teens Who “Look Like They’re 27” at The Playlist.

“Avatar: The Way Of Water” is now in theaters, and only time will tell if it’s another massive financial success for James Cameron. It’s off to a good start, in any case: $550 million at the global box office so far. But the new sequel needs bigger numbers than that if Cameron takes the franchise past “Avatar 3,” a movie that, Variety reports, is a direct continuation of “The Way Of Water.”

READ MORE: ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ Review: James Cameron’s Sequel Is Blockbuster Filmmaking At Its Biggest & Best

In a new feature with “The Way Of Water” writers, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver said they had “too much material” in the sequel’s original script and had to cut it into two films.

Continue reading ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’: Writers Say They Had To Split Sequel Into Two Films Because Of “Too Much Material” at The Playlist.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the Oscar shortlists today and the Visual Effects and Sound categories saw some surprises. While films such as “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “NOPE” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” were expected in Visual Effects, “Thirteen Lives” was not. Moreover, the Sound category inexplicably snubbed “Nope.”

READ MORE: “Avatar: The Way of Water” is ready to dive into the Oscar race

One film that made the Sound category, but didn’t make the VFX cut was “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” “RRR,” the Best Picture nominee hopeful that landed an Original Song placement, did not get recognized in either Visual Effects or, more shockingly, Sound.

Continue reading ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water,’ ‘NOPE’ Make Visual Effects Oscar Shortlist at The Playlist.

Just because an actor appears in a major franchise film, you can never assume they are deeply ingrained in the fandom and everything that comes with it. For many of them, starring in a franchise film is just another job and a paycheck. Sure, they probably love the work and respect the film, but they’re not checking Film Twitter for rumors and speculation. Case in point—Edie Falco’s experience with “Avatar: The Way of Water.” 

READ MORE: James Cameron Jokes The ‘SNL’ Papyrus Sketch About ‘Avatar’ Logo “Haunted” Him

While appearing on “The View,” Edie Falco was asked if she was a huge fan of the “Avatar” franchise before signing on to appear in the new sequel, ‘The Way of Water.’ The actress admitted to seeing the first film in theaters years ago, but also shared a slightly embarrassing story about how she’s not obsessed with the box office and release dates in a way most fans are. 

Continue reading Edie Falco Assumed ‘Avatar 2’ Already Bombed Because She Filmed 4 Years Ago And Didn’t Hear Anything at The Playlist.

Even the most staunch “Avatar” haters have to agree that James Cameron puts so much blood, sweat, and tears into the franchise in an insane attempt to make the most beautiful, technologically advanced films of all time. And yet, as was pointed out in a popular sketch on “Saturday Night Live,” the franchise’s logo just uses the simple Papyrus font that anyone can use for free.

Continue reading James Cameron Jokes The ‘SNL’ Papyrus Sketch About ‘Avatar’ Logo “Haunted” Him at The Playlist.

James Cameron’s epic “Avatar: The Way Of Water” film is in theaters now, and it grossed $430 million this weekend globally—the second-highest global opening of 2022 after “Doctor Strange And The Multiverse of Madness.” There’s been talk that this is a low figure, or disappointing or whatever—to be fair, the film was tracking to anywhere as high as $170 million domestic, and the film only grossed $134 million in North America, which is a bit soft—one has to remember the context of a lot of December releases which tend to have a slow build.

Continue reading ‘Terminator’ James Cameron Says He’s Had Discussions About Relaunching The Franchise & Directing It at The Playlist.

James Cameron likes his female heroines as strong and capable as possible. For instance, take Sigourney Weaver‘s Ellen Ripley in “Aliens” or Linda Hamilton‘s Sarah Connor in “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” But according to Cameron, Kate Winslet‘s Ronal in “Avatar: The Way Of Water” is the director’s most “empowering” female action hero yet.

Continue reading ‘Avatar’: James Cameron Says ‘The Way Of Water’ Female Empowerment Bests MCU And DC Studios at The Playlist.

As “Avatar: The Way Of Water‘ hits theaters everywhere tomorrow, questions about the long-awaited sequel abound. Will the film be another massive cash cow for Jim Cameron? Does the “Avatar” franchise have any cultural caché after thirteen years between the first and second movies? Will Cameron make all five films he has mapped out for the series? It all hinges on how “The Way Of Water” does at the box office this weekend.

Continue reading Sam Worthington Says James Cameron Has A Full Script For ‘Avatar 1.5’ & More Details About ‘Avatar 5’ at The Playlist.

We all love actors, directors, music, and all of it, but cinema is obviously a visual medium first and foremost, and boy, do we love a handsome, nice-to-look-at picture. Cinematography usually gets turned into “pretty pictures,” what is the most colorful, the most sun-dappled, etc. And sure, some of that is represented here (“Aftersun”), but what represents “Best Cinematography,” to us, should be as layered, complex, and meaningful as cinema itself.

Continue reading The Best Cinematography Of 2022 at The Playlist.