'Avatar: The Way of Water': How James Cameron built his ambitious epic to appeal to eager audiences

[Editor's Note: The following story contains spoilers for "Avatar: The Way of the Water".]

James Cameron is a consistent overachiever. He works overtime to create movies that make audiences happy. He tries to stimulate their pleasure center. And he wants to attract them again for repeat viewings.

Released 13 years after the original, Cameron's "Avatar" sequel, "The Way of Water," cost so much ($350-400 million) that the filmmaker estimates it must make $2 billion. dollars to make a profit. (It's one of the most expensive movies ever made.) But that's why Cameron is so keen on creating a four-quadrant movie that appeals to the widest possible audience.

Just like "Titanic" 25 years ago, which sat in theaters for a year and ended up grossing $2.202 billion over time, and the original "Avatar," which made $2. $9 billion worldwide, “The Way of the Water” is approachable, genuinely romantic, and action-packed.

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But even Cameron has to level up, and his "Avatar" and its sequel combine romance with 3D immersion in a lavishly beautiful world that's under attack. In "The Way of Water", Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neyteri (Zoe Saldana) are forced to take their family away from their forest home because they are targeted by the vengeful recombined avatar of the late Colonel Miles Quaritch ( Stephen Lang) and his GDR marines. The Sully family flies to a distant atoll to seek refuge with the Metkayina, a clan that thrives underwater. Here they must adapt and fight back when Quaritch hunts them down.

In opening weekend, the film got off to a solid, if not meteoric, start (Metascore: 69), grossing $434 million worldwide, including on 3D screens in China, which rarely books films Hollywood but embraces Cameron's love for IMAX 3D. Cameron's movies tend to grow over time: Christmas shows in the US are already selling out.

Here's how Cameron crafted his populist masterpiece, which is set to follow 'Titanic' and 'Avatar' in the race for Oscars, an inevitable Best Picture and Director VFX win and multiple crafting nominations . (We spoke on Zoom, as the director was on day two of his first bout with COVID, contracted on the final leg back in Los Angeles during his promotional tour of England, France, Korea and Tokyo. )

James Cameron and Sam Worthington on the set of 'Avatar: The Waterway'

©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy of Everett Collection

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