Avatar, directed by James Cameron, is a cinematic masterpiece that captivated the world with its engaging narrative and revolutionary technical innovations. Released in 2009, the film quickly became a landmark in cinema history, not only for its record-breaking box office earnings but also for its fascinating trivia that unveils the behind-the-scenes of its production. In this analysis, we will explore some of the most interesting trivia about the film Avatar, revealing the challenges faced by the production team, the inspirations behind the story, and the extraordinary visual effects that made it a cultural phenomenon.
Here are 10 trivia facts about this cinematic milestone:
1 – SCRIPT WRITTEN 15 YEARS PRIOR
In 1994, James Cameron penned the first draft of the Avatar script, but he acknowledged that the technology required to materialize his vision wasn’t yet accessible due to its high cost or nonexistence at the time. It took several years until Cameron became convinced that the moment was nearing to turn his most ambitious idea into reality. That moment arrived only when “The Lord of the Rings,” directed by Peter Jackson, hit theaters. One of the trilogy’s most impressive feats was the creation of Gollum, masterfully realized through motion capture by Andy Serkis. The combination of Serkis’s excellent performance with the astonishing advancements in computer graphics represented a significant milestone for special effects, profoundly impacting James Cameron. In an interview with EW, Cameron revealed that it was watching Gollum on the big screen that finally convinced him that Avatar was a feasible endeavor.
2 – SEARCHING FOR THE LEAD
When Avatar finally entered the production phase, James Cameron and his team began searching for the actor to portray Jake Sully, the former Marine who trades his wheelchair for the body of a three-meter-tall blue alien. Cameron’s initial choice for the role was Matt Damon, to whom he offered a contract that included 10% of the film’s revenue. However, Damon, who had already committed to filming “The Bourne Ultimatum,” turned down the offer. Cameron then expanded his list of potential actors. Jake Gyllenhaal turned down Avatar to star in “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,” a film that received negative reviews. Three of Hollywood’s “Chrises” – Evans, Pine, and Pratt – also auditioned for the role of Jake Sully, as did Channing Tatum. However, Pratt and Pine’s auditions were unsuccessful. Evans and Tatum made it to the final round of selection, but the role ultimately went to newcomer Sam Worthington, who set aside his Australian accent to portray the character.
3 – NA´VI VISUALS
Developing the appearance of the Na’vi posed a unique challenge. It was necessary for the inhabitants of Pandora to be visually as extraordinary as the planet’s flora and fauna, but creating their design presented an additional challenge for James Cameron and the team of artists. This is because the core of Avatar is an interspecies romance between the human Jake Sully and the Na’vi Neytiri. For the film to work, the romance needed to be believable. Cameron wanted the natives of Pandora to be completely alien, yet still captivating for Jake and the audience. He envisioned a creature with blue skin, cat-like ears, lemur-like eyes, and an amphibian appearance. Early design attempts were overly wild, while subsequent ones tended to look too human but blue. Animators, using physical models and digital maquettes, explored around 50 to 60 versions of Neytiri before arriving at the final appearance of the Na’vi.
4 – REFERENCE TO SAINT AUGUSTINE
The origin of the word “avatar” dates back to Sanskrit and is used to describe divine entities that take on human form to restore balance through benevolent actions. James Cameron also chose to make the Na’vi blue as a homage to Vishnu, a Hindu deity responsible for sustaining the universe. Similarly, “navi” is a word of Hebrew origin meaning “prophet,” and the Na’vi in the film worship a deity called Ey’wa, which can be seen as a transposition of Yahweh, one of the names of the Hebrew God. Additionally, Cameron continued his personal tradition of assigning his heroes names with Christian symbolism. This is evident in characters like Bishop in “Aliens” and Monk in “The Abyss”. Though Cameron has never explicitly confirmed it, the name Dr. Augustine may be an allusion to Saint Augustine, an ambassador of Christianity towards England.
5 – THE NA´VI LANGUAGE
It’s common for languages to develop over centuries, continually adapting to changes in historical context. However, linguist Paul Frommer faced a different challenge when working on James Cameron’s film “Avatar.” Set on the beautiful yet primitive planet of Pandora, home to the Na’vi, Cameron chose to create an entirely new language for this alien species from scratch. Frommer was tasked with developing over a thousand words for this purpose. While he taught the cast to speak the language, Frommer felt he was the only one truly fluent in it. He expressed the hope that fans of the film would become interested enough to learn the language, much like they did with Klingon, Dothraki, and other fictional languages. It seems that this wish is coming true, with fans actually learning to speak Na’vi thanks to apps and websites promising fluency in less than three months.
6 – PANDORA
Undoubtedly, the most striking feature of “Avatar” is the visual conception of Pandora’s untouched natural forests. To create the mystical landscapes, James Cameron collaborated with a botany expert, Dr. Jodie Holt, who is the chair of the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences at the University of California. At his request, she applied scientific principles to the flora of Pandora as comprehensively as possible. Holt argued that on a moon with strong magnetism, low gravity, and a dense atmosphere, there could be oversized vegetation (such as Pandora’s immensely tall trees) that would reach towards available light during the day. The environment under the canopy would be dark, leading plants to evolve to emit bioluminescent light.
7 – HOW TO TELL NA AVATAR APART FROM A NA´VI
If you’re having trouble distinguishing between an Avatar and a Na’vi, the difference is quite simple. The Na’vi are a species residing on Pandora, a moon in the Alpha Centauri star system. Avatars, on the other hand, are a mix of humans and Na’vi, used by human scientists to explore Pandora in search of unobtanium, a vital energy source for Earth. Avatars, being a combination of humans and Na’vi, possess slightly different characteristics from the Na’vi. While they share many abilities, they have features that are more useful for humans, such as extra fingers and eyebrows. While Na’vi have only four fingers, Avatars retain the five human fingers, in addition to having the furry features above the eyes typical of humans.
8 – CGI CIGARETTES
A significant portion of the film was done through computer-generated imagery (CGI), including the cigarettes smoked by the character Dr. Grace Augustine (portrayed by Sigourney Weaver). James Cameron, in the DVD commentary, explains that Weaver mimicked smoking; the cigarettes and their smoke were digitally added later. Cameron chose to use CGI cigarettes to avoid Weaver having to actually hold a lit cigarette. However, the director received criticism for the depiction of smoking in the film. In response to these criticisms, Cameron stated that as an artist, he does not adhere to the strict notion that smoking should not be portrayed in films. He argued that if it is acceptable to depict lies, theft, and murder in cinema, it would be hypocritical to impose a specific morality regarding smoking.
9 – HIGH BUDGET, EVEN HIGHER PROFIT
At the conclusion of its theatrical run, “Avatar” surpassed “Star Wars,” “Jurassic Park,” and “Titanic” in terms of box office earnings. The film grossed over $2.7 billion worldwide, primarily from international markets, and became the highest-grossing film of all time. Furthermore, it was the most expensive film ever produced at the time of its release, with a cost of $237 million. However, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” released two years later, surpassed this record with a budget of $410 million.
10 – THE DELAY OF THE SEQUEL
You’ve probably wondered why it took so long for the sequel to Avatar to be released, right? Well, there’s a logical explanation for that. Instead of focusing primarily on land, like in the first film, much of Avatar 2 takes place underwater. Filming underwater presents significant challenges, both in live-action and CGI, and Cameron had to wait until he found ways to create something as groundbreaking as the original, especially regarding motion capture and facial expressions. In an interview with Collider in 2017, Cameron admitted that whenever water is introduced into a situation, the problems become ten times more complex. Therefore, essentially, Cameron needed a few years while waiting for advancements in technology and equipment to be able to realize his vision authentically.
In summary, “Avatar” not only revolutionized the cinematic experience with its groundbreaking visual effects and innovative filming techniques but also inspired a host of fascinating trivia that continues to captivate fans to this day. From the meticulous creation of the world of Pandora to the challenges faced during production, the film is a testament to the power of human imagination and relentless dedication to realizing an artistic vision. The journey of “Avatar” doesn’t end with the final credits but continues to evolve with each new revelation about its creation process and cultural impact. This cinematic epic by James Cameron, with its behind-the-scenes stories and lasting legacy, remains a milestone in cinema history and continues to inspire future generations of moviegoers and filmmakers.