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Avatar sequels: New Zealand scores three-movie deal worth $500m
Monday December 16th 2013The director James Cameron will make three sequels to his 2009 sci-fi blockbuster Avatar in New Zealand, he announced on Monday.
Cameron made the announcement in Wellington with producer Jon Landau and New Zealand’s prime minister, John Key. The films will be made by Lightstorm Entertainment and Twentieth Century Fox.
Avatar, which was shot and made in New Zealand, won three Academy Awards and is the highest-grossing film in history, with an international box office take of nearly $2.8bn.
Cameron said he planned to complete principal shooting on the three movies at one time, perhaps over a period of about nine months and beginning in 2015. He said the aim was to release the first sequel for Christmas 2016 and the following two movies in late 2017 and late 2018.
“It’s quite a thrill to be officially saying that we’re bringing the Avatar films to New Zealand,” he told a press conference. “We had such a wonderful experience here making the first film.”
Cameron said work had begun on the writing and design of the movies.
New Zealand’s government has agreed to a 25% rebate for the films, meaning it will pick up one-quarter of the tab. The agreement states that Lightstorm and Twentieth Century Fox will spend at least $NZ500m ($413m) in New Zealand on the movies.
Cameron declined to disclose a budget. But he said he expected that economies of scale would help keep the cost of the three movies together below $1bn.
He said he intended to make the movies in 3D and to shoot at least some sequences at 48 frames a second.
Films are typically shot in 24 frames a second. The New Zealand director Peter Jackson shot his trilogy of The Hobbit at double that speed in an attempt to make the movies look more realistic, but the results of the technology have attracted mixed reviews.
Key said the announcement brought excitement and relief for the New Zealand film industry, which had been facing a lull as work wound down on Jackson’s trilogy.
“It’s a day of great celebration,” Key said. “It’s a great Christmas present for those involved in making world class movies.”
Headline, Industry News
Avatar sequels: New Zealand scores three-movie deal worth $500m
Monday December 16th 2013The director James Cameron will make three sequels to his 2009 sci-fi blockbuster Avatar in New Zealand, he announced on Monday.
Cameron made the announcement in Wellington with producer Jon Landau and New Zealand’s prime minister, John Key. The films will be made by Lightstorm Entertainment and Twentieth Century Fox.
Avatar, which was shot and made in New Zealand, won three Academy Awards and is the highest-grossing film in history, with an international box office take of nearly $2.8bn.
Cameron said he planned to complete principal shooting on the three movies at one time, perhaps over a period of about nine months and beginning in 2015. He said the aim was to release the first sequel for Christmas 2016 and the following two movies in late 2017 and late 2018.
“It’s quite a thrill to be officially saying that we’re bringing the Avatar films to New Zealand,” he told a press conference. “We had such a wonderful experience here making the first film.”
Cameron said work had begun on the writing and design of the movies.
New Zealand’s government has agreed to a 25% rebate for the films, meaning it will pick up one-quarter of the tab. The agreement states that Lightstorm and Twentieth Century Fox will spend at least $NZ500m ($413m) in New Zealand on the movies.
Cameron declined to disclose a budget. But he said he expected that economies of scale would help keep the cost of the three movies together below $1bn.
He said he intended to make the movies in 3D and to shoot at least some sequences at 48 frames a second.
Films are typically shot in 24 frames a second. The New Zealand director Peter Jackson shot his trilogy of The Hobbit at double that speed in an attempt to make the movies look more realistic, but the results of the technology have attracted mixed reviews.
Key said the announcement brought excitement and relief for the New Zealand film industry, which had been facing a lull as work wound down on Jackson’s trilogy.
“It’s a day of great celebration,” Key said. “It’s a great Christmas present for those involved in making world class movies.”
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Headline, Industry News
Avatar sequels: New Zealand scores three-movie deal worth $500m
Monday December 16th 2013The director James Cameron will make three sequels to his 2009 sci-fi blockbuster Avatar in New Zealand, he announced on Monday.
Cameron made the announcement in Wellington with producer Jon Landau and New Zealand’s prime minister, John Key. The films will be made by Lightstorm Entertainment and Twentieth Century Fox.
Avatar, which was shot and made in New Zealand, won three Academy Awards and is the highest-grossing film in history, with an international box office take of nearly $2.8bn.
Cameron said he planned to complete principal shooting on the three movies at one time, perhaps over a period of about nine months and beginning in 2015. He said the aim was to release the first sequel for Christmas 2016 and the following two movies in late 2017 and late 2018.
“It’s quite a thrill to be officially saying that we’re bringing the Avatar films to New Zealand,” he told a press conference. “We had such a wonderful experience here making the first film.”
Cameron said work had begun on the writing and design of the movies.
New Zealand’s government has agreed to a 25% rebate for the films, meaning it will pick up one-quarter of the tab. The agreement states that Lightstorm and Twentieth Century Fox will spend at least $NZ500m ($413m) in New Zealand on the movies.
Cameron declined to disclose a budget. But he said he expected that economies of scale would help keep the cost of the three movies together below $1bn.
He said he intended to make the movies in 3D and to shoot at least some sequences at 48 frames a second.
Films are typically shot in 24 frames a second. The New Zealand director Peter Jackson shot his trilogy of The Hobbit at double that speed in an attempt to make the movies look more realistic, but the results of the technology have attracted mixed reviews.
Key said the announcement brought excitement and relief for the New Zealand film industry, which had been facing a lull as work wound down on Jackson’s trilogy.
“It’s a day of great celebration,” Key said. “It’s a great Christmas present for those involved in making world class movies.”
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