A Long Time Ago…

Motion Capture has been around for decades, with Disney using rotoscope animation for its features. This involved tracing over the individual frames of a live-action performance. While it’s hard to know exactly where it was first used, it arguably became popularised with the original Mortal Kombat game. It wasn’t actually the motion capture we’re familiar with today, the actors were actually in costume. They performed the moves and were then “digitized” into the game, with the movements translated into animation as individual frames. That’s why the character models for the original game look so good because they’re real people!

It quickly arrived in films too, with Batman Forever notably using a “digital stunt double” for several shots. The video game adaptation used similar technology to animate its characters. But as usual, George Lucas was the one took things to a whole new level. 1999 saw the release of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Lucas had to wait for technology to be at a stage for him to complete his prequel trilogy and a large part of that was Jar Jar. The clumsy alien was played by Ahmed Best who is from a physical percussion group background, and was originally only hired for motion capture, before also voicing the character. Although the character was met with negative reception, it remains an important step forward for filmmaking

Apes. Together. Strong.

Around the same time, WETA Digital were working on bringing Gollum to life for Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. After Andy Serkis’ impressive physical performance, and casting as Smeagol, the original model for the character was changed, to resemble Serkis more. The original model can be seen during the first film. Gollum’s scenes were filmed twice, once with Serkis, and once without. Serkis didn’t actually wear anything we would recognise today for the performance, instead wearing a simple white leotard. They were able to render a (unfinished) model in real-time, to help visualise. Many of the techniques (as well as Serkis) used for Gollum would later be applied to Jackson’s version of King Kong and would be developed further for Matt Reeves’ Planet of the Apes prequel trilogy. Serkis used his influence to found The Imaginarium Studios, a performance capture facility, which recently relocated to Pinewood

Welcome to Pandora

James Cameron took things to the next level with his smash hit Avatar, using motion capture technology to bring to life the alien Na’vi, this time having a camera focused on the actor’s face, as well as whatever cameras are capturing the scene. This technique allows the animators to be able to directly translate the actor’s performance onto the digital character, rather than just as a reference footage. This is the technique commonly used today, and it’s only getting better. Being used to bring to life creatures like the Hulk and Smaug the Dragon, as well as in video games to create more realistic animations and performances, it makes sense why there are so many calls for mocap performances to be recognised at the Oscars.

Also Read: The Many Faces Of Andy Serkis

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With all that in mind, it seems like a sequel would be a slam dunk for success. But 13 years on, the landscape is very different. Cinemas are still struggling to recover from the effects of Covid, and there was much less competition back then. Cameron has gone on record saying it needs to gross around $2 Billion to break even, but can it? And can he go one further and beat his own record?

A Whole New World

The first Avatar film was released in 2009. At the time, the MCU was still in its infancy, with The Avengers still a few years away. Shared universes weren’t even a thing at the time, with every studio looking to cash in on Harry Potter‘s success and find their own YA novel series to adapt. Transformers and the Fast and Furious franchises were two of the biggest films that year, while Star Trek rebooted itself for the next generation.

Thirteen years on, the MCU is one of the most successful film franchises ever, and recently announced a slate going into 2026. Every studio is trying to make a shared universe, the Wizarding World, as it is now known, has stalled three films into a planned five series, with the author now a very controversial figure. Not to mention several other franchises that have spawned in the years since.

Audiences also may be suffering from franchise fatigue, with many newer ones dominating the box office, along with original films. The rise of streaming services, something that has exploded in popularity in recent years, has also contributed. Even Star Wars has mainly moved to streaming after the mixed reception to the sequel trilogy and Solo being considered a disappointment. The pandemic has made streaming more powerful than ever, with many films getting a smaller theatrical window or none – whilst appearing on on-demand services much quicker.

Return To Pandora

At the time of writing, Avatar: The Way of Water is around the $1.7 Billion mark. After being in theatres for less than a month. Coming out towards the end of December, it not only had the Christmas season to take advantage of but also January, which traditionally is a quiet month for cinemas, as there are few new releases (in the UK, there are often awards contenders that we have yet to receive). Barring any unexpected hits, Avatar is still poised to be the big film for the first few months. Perhaps the best, recent film to compare it to is Top Gun: Maverick. A sequel coming years after the original, making use of its now much older star and advanced technology. It became the second highest-grossing of the year and the highest-grossing of Tom Cruise’s career.

Like Maverick, word of mouth and curiosity will work in Avatar‘s favour. Some audiences will turn up because there is nothing else on and also to see what Cameron has been up to all these years. Good reviews will also convince people that may have been on the fence about the film before now. Box Office numbers are often a marathon, rather than a sprint. While Avengers: Endgame Hulk-Smashed its way to the top spot fairly quickly, it was the culmination of ten years worth of films, and followed up on a huge cliffhanger, with many fans seeing it early to avoid spoilers. By contrast, The Way of Water is much more accessible, as it is set many years after the original, and focuses on new characters.

Can Cameron Do It?

Absolutely. Despite its perceived lack of “cultural impact” Avatar has remained the biggest film for close to a decade. Its brief time being dethroned was the result of ten years and over twenty films leading into it. With only five films grossing over $2 billion ever, The Way of Water is well on track to join the ranks. Depending on how long it is until there is some serious competition, it could even beat the original film. The only film that looks to be a threat is a re-release of Cameron’s own Titanic.

Also Read: Why James Cameron’s Avatar Sequel Has Come At The Right Time

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A Tangled Web of Rights

In the 90’s Marvel wasn’t the juggernaut it is today, and sold off the film rights to several of its characters. This eventually led to the superhero boom in the early 2000’s with the likes of Blade, Daredevil and the X-Men series. It’s also the reason the MCU has been unable to use various characters throughout the years. Currently, the rights to Spider-Man (films at least) belong to Sony, who have produced every Spider-Man film.

Before they landed with Sony, the rights were sold to Cannon films. Cannon produced cheap B-Movies, with the occasional cult classic like Runaway Train and even financed the infamous Superman IV: The Quest For Peace which managed to kill both the franchise and the studio. As Cannon had not used the rights within the 5-year time limit, they sold them to Carolco Pictures, shortly before the release of a little known film called Terminator 2: Judgement Day.

On the success of the sequel, the studio gave the director James Cameron free reign, to the excitement of many. Cameron got to work, wanting to take the source material seriously, unlike most directors. Several drafts with various villains, including Doc Ock, Electro, and Sandman were considered. Electro and Sandman weren’t allowed to appear in the 90’s cartoon as a result of the film’s development. Although Electro was included eventually, Sandman did not, with Hydroman taking his place.

The “Scriptment”

During development, Cameron produced a “scriptment” part script-part treatment. The document outlines much of his intentions with the film. A lot of the basics are the same. Peter Parker lives with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. He’s got a crush on Mary Jane Watson and is bullied by Nathan “Flash” McCreery because he’s a bit of a quiet outsider. Peter is bitten by a spider, although this time it’s swallowed a genetically engineered fruit fly rather than being radioactive. After some strange dreams, including waking to find himself atop a radio tower in his underwear, he develops strange abilities, like being able to stick to walls, as well as being able to produce webbing from a gland in his wrist.

In an effort to control his powers, Peter begins studying spiders and is joined by MJ, so she can ace the class and the two become close. Instead of wrestling, he becomes a street performer, before being picked up for a TV show. Uncle Ben is killed, he feels responsible and hunts down the criminal, before evading the police. Meanwhile Carlton Strand, a petty thief who was struck by lightning and used his electricity powers to become a Donald Trump-esque mogul. Strand takes notice of Spider-Man and wants him to join his criminal organisation, sending his henchman Boyd AKA Sandman to recruit him.

Strand offers Peter money, which he can use for May’s hospital bills but he declines. So he tries to frame Spider-Man, by having his henchman commit various crimes while dressed like him. He also funds local TV man J Jonah Jameson’s campaign against the hero. After seeing Spider-Man saving Mary Jane from a mugging and taking her for a swing, Strand deduces his feeling for her and kidnaps MJ. After a climactic showdown on top of the World Trade Center, Peter rescues her, before revealing his identity.

Would It Have Been Good?

With James Cameron involved, it’s hard to imagine this not being a massive success. A lot of the key elements for Spider-Man are present. Cameron himself states that it’s “the best movie (he) never made”. This version of Spider-Man is certainly more aggressive, at one point offering to “decorate a Christmas tree” with a criminal’s intestines. The film would potentially not have been rated 12A due to the language, and an implied love scene with Peter and MJ on top of a bridge. Cameron was keen to make it seem real, lending itself more to The Dark Knight or The Amazing Spider-Man and their gritty tone rather than the camp Sam Raimi’s version offered. Peter’s powers are used as a metaphor for puberty and finding your place in the world.

In this version, the top of the World Trade Center is a recurring location, with Peter using it as a hangout spot, complete with a web hammock. The finale also takes place here, and while this film was being developed in the early ’90s and potentially shot, depending on the films release date, could have been affected by the events of 9/11.

James Cameron’s Spider-Man is certainly interesting and will live on as one of the mythical versions of films we never got to see. Although the final version we know and love went through several other versions between now and then some elements like the organic webbing remain and Doc Ock and Sandman would be used in the sequels. Cameron himself has moved on, vowing to not get involved in others IP and just do his own thing, which seems to be working out for him. While things worked out in the end, it’s still fun to think about what could have been.

Also Read: Why James Cameron’s Avatar Sequel Has Come At The Right Time

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Martin Scorsese

What He Won For – When The Departed finally got Martin Scorsese his Best Director Oscar, there was almost a universal declaration that is was for the wrong film. In fact, this is the film that inspired the whole article, the classic example of the Academy rewarding a career of greatness rather than the particular film.

What He Should Have Won For – There are a lot of contenders but it is a crime for which someone should be arrested that he did not win for Goodfellas. This is one of the best films ever made, and in my opinion, edges out even The Godfather as the definitive Mafia film. This is an epic story of crime, friendship and betrayal with some of the most memorable scenes in film history, such as the long take entrance to the Copacabana, Joe Pesci asking if he is a clown and the stunning final scene wrapping up what has happened with Henry Hill’s narration. It is a practically perfect film.

Alfonso Cuaron

What He Won For – Cuaron has two Best Director awards, one for Roma and one for Gravity. As I have not seen Roma, I cannot comment, but I have seen Gravity. Again, this is not a bad film; it’s a very good film, but it certainly feels more like a technical achievement than an artistic one. It is the only film I have seen where I thought it made sense to be in 3D, where the director actually did something worthwhile with that technology.

What He Should Have Won For – One of the great overlooked and underrated films of all time – Children of Men. This is one of the bleakest settings for a film ever, yet it ends up being hopeful. There are technically brilliant shots – such as two incredible long takes, one of a conversation and subsequent attack in a car, which I’ve never been able to work out how it was filmed, and the shot near the end of the film of Theo rushing through a warzone, which is a contender for the best scene ever filmed. But there’s also a lot of emotion and caring. Theo’s relationship with Kee is very touching, and Theo transforms from one of the most jaded and cynical people you can imagine to someone willing to die for someone else.

James Cameron

What He Won For – In my younger, less cinema-literate days, I assumed there were two directors named James Cameron – Cool James Cameron and Not Cool James Cameron, one made brilliant sci-fi and the other made Titanic, but indeed they are the same person, and Cameron got his Oscar for Titanic. This is a bad film that relies on the romanticism of the real Titanic. Certainly, it is a visual spectacle, and the sinking of the ship is very well done, but still, it is a bad film.

What He Should Have Won For – Cameron can lay claim to making two of the best sequels ever, Terminator 2: Judgement Day and Aliens, but I think the latter narrowly takes it. In Aliens, Cameron does something which is nearly impossible in that he introduces a young child character that not only isn’t annoying but improves the film. Ripley’s relationship with Newt basically becomes the central part of the film and has a big emotional impact. As well as this emotional weight, the film has some of the greatest action scenes ever and is incredibly enjoyable. The Academy has a long history of disdain to science-fiction and not recognising the brilliance of Aliens is another part of that history.

Ron Howard

What He Won For – A Beautiful Mind won four Oscars, including one for Ron Howard as director. Certainly not a bad film, but hardly the best example of Howard’s talents.

What He Should Have Won For – Howard has a number of great films, but Frost/Nixon is an astonishing achievement. An adaptation of a play where most of the dramatic moments are literally one person interviewing another does not scream cinematic, but it is gripping. Perhaps the most dramatic moment, however, is not part of the interview, with Nixon calling Frost in a rant about how they were both from humble backgrounds, were always looked down upon by the upper class and were going “to make them choke on our success” is unforgettable.

Also Read: Oscar-Winning Actors Who Deserved Their Award For A Different Role

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After technology finally caught up to his vision, development was paused on Alita and Avatar took centre stage (Cameron would eventually take a backseat on Alita, due to focusing on Avatar and it’s sequels). It was released to critical as well as commercial acclaim. While the film dominated the conversation in 2009, and sequels are planned, the film doesn’t have as passionate a fanbase as franchises like Star Wars or the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), leaving some to question the demand for a sequel.

However, a lot has changed since 2009, both in the world of film and the world at large, and many of Avatar’s themes are more relevant today than they ever were…

Imperialism

The story of Avatar follows Jake Sully, a paraplegic marine who takes the place of his deceased twin brother and travels to Pandora, an alien planet whose atmosphere is deadly to humans. Sully and his team use avatars to explore the planet and interact with the local people, the Na’vi. After falling in love with one of the Na’vi Jake and his team of sympathisers switch sides, and help force the humans off the planet.

The final battle of the film revolves around the Hometree, a huge tree that, while considered sacred to the Na’vi, is on top of a large mineral deposit. Although Cameron has been understandably vague about some of the themes, he has hinted that the evil corporation may have connections with America and it’s pursuit of oil in other countries.

Cameron has stated the parallels to Iraq and Vietnam are “by design“. With a technologically superior military force, facing off against natives. While this has led some people to consider it an example of “The Messiah Complex“, a white man saving an indigenous people, a common complaint of several stories (and something Black Panther avoided) while others have disagreed with this, arguing that the main character is himself paraplegic, and actually discards his human body for his Na’vi avatar at the end.

Environmental Themes

While climate change was an issue in 2009, it has become a far more pressing concern in the decade since Avatar. James Cameron has actually “declared war” on climate change and the film is very overt with its environmental message, rivalling Wall-E. The brief mentions of Earth refer to it as having “no green” and a “dying planet”. Pandora itself has an atmosphere that is toxic to humans. The film is set in 2154. Scientists estimate the planet could be well on course for such a fate. The energy crisis that results in the humans travelling to Pandora is another problem we are facing today. Science fiction is a way for us to explore our hopes and fears, and Cameron is clearly showing us his fears.

The Na’vi have the exact opposite relationship with their home planet. An almost symbiotic bond with nature, they can literally connect to other life with their hair. Cameron hoped the film would make people reconsider their connection to nature. The film clearly takes the side of nature being superior, with the Na’vi winning with the aid of the creatures of Pandora. Jake is originally promised a fix for his legs if he helps the RDA but is given a whole new (and physically superior) body by choosing nature over technology.

The Sequels

Almost as soon as Avatar grossed $1 Billion at the box office, an (inevitable) sequel was announced. With several others planned, the first of which is aiming for a 2021 release date (although this is after several delays). With rumoured titles of “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Avatar: The Seed Bearer,” “Avatar: The Tulkun Rider,” and “Avatar: The Quest for Eywa”, the ecological theme seems to run through the sequels as well. Although very little plot details have been given. According to some reports, Fox had to donate a considerable amount to Cameron’s environmental fund before he would even sign on for the sequels.

The sequels will likely follow similar themes of the importance of nature, but the titles hint at slightly more specific concerns. “The Way of Water” could be focused on rising sea levels and the damage of human waste to ocean life forms. “The Seed Bearer” could deal with plant life, and Tulkun Rider on creatures and their habitat. In the lore, Eywa is a goddess of all life, meaning the film could deal with our connection to living things.

Whatever the sequels end up being about, they will definitely be incredibly ambitious, as with all James Cameron films. He has planned this world in great detail and clearly has a lot to say. What messages it brings will be revealed when the films are released…

Also Read: “Little Women” & Cinema for the self-partnered

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What’s it about?

Set several centuries in the future, the story picks up when the abandoned Alita is found in the scrapyard by Dr. Ido, Alita has no memory of who she is, or the world she has found herself in.

Alita: Battle Angel is out in cinemas now.

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