Avatar: The Way of Waterwas able to capture the imagination of its viewers with its fantastical take on an alien world, but that isn’t all. The film’s writer and directorJames Cameronrevealed that he also put great emphasis on grounding his story in a kind of realism, showing how ordinary people deal with real-life issues while fighting to protect their homes. This givesAvatar: The Way of Water a unique appeal that sets it apart from other superhero-themed franchises. In comparison, Cameron argues that his franchise has a stronger basis in reality as it speaks more about current-day issues we all must face.
In an interview withTheWrapJames Cameron noted that, while he loves superhero movies, he specifically craftedAvatar: The Way of Waterand its upcoming three sequels to feature more relatable challenges for the characters.
“They’re not extraordinary problems. They’re not going up against some guy that’s trying to conquer the galaxy,” he said. “They have real problems. And I’m not dissing superhero movies. I love ‘em, they’re our modern myths and legends, they’re the Greek gods fighting. We love all of that stuff, but that’s not the movie I wanted to make.”
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James Cameron’s Personal Journey Inspires the Story ofThe Way of Water
While stressing that he has no issue with superhero movies, Cameron discussed the global appeal ofAvatar. He noted that what earnedAvatarits worldwide success was its ability to connect with its audience in a truly unprecedented way. He points out that while the film did very well domestically in the U.S., it made three-quarters of its money outside the country, likely because of its universal themes of family and relationships.
Cameron has always been known forpushing the boundaries of storytellingin cinema, and his latest project is no exception. He drew on both his own personal experience as a teenager and later as a father to craft the central story that revolves around Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) as they strive to balance their family obligations with the responsibilities they have to their people and community.
“Now, I can’t speak to their individual sort of cultural guardrails on that, how that works, I can only speak to my own experience having been on both sides of the equation as a teen that people didn’t understand – I mean first of all, all teens feel like they don’t belong, they don’t fit, but if you’re an artist in a very jock-y high school, you get beat up a lot, and you look for the other misfits,” Cameron said. “My dad didn’t get me. My mom did, because she was an artist.”
“And then living the other side of that as a father of five and seeing how my kids struggled in their different ways, all in different ways because they’re all different people, so that was all great grist for the mill. You put that all on this fantastic planet with all these amazing vistas and all that, but it grounds it right down and says these are real people. They may be nine feet tall and blue with cat tails, but they’re real people because they feel real. The problems that they’re facing are real.”
Through this lens, Cameron creates an incredibly powerful story of self-discovery, perseverance, and family values, giving audiences a thrilling exploration of difficult yet meaningful subject matter.Avatar: The Way of Wateris now only available in theaters.
