Collider.com had the chance to interview Laz Alonso who starred in this week’s Fast & Furious and the upcoming James Cameron’s sci-fi epic, Avatar. He spilled some details about the film, including that Avatar is going to be part of a trilogy.
Alonso couldn’t say anything about the script, since it is under lock and key, but he did have some details about the technology used:
All I can say is that the technology is something that no one has ever seen or used before. We were being filmed by 197 cameras, simultaneously, in real time. It was something that took two and a half years to do, and when you see it this December, you’re going to know why it took that long. It is just unrivaled by anything that my eyes have ever seen in cinema. It blew me away, when I saw some of the finished scenes.
He went on to talk about working with Cameron after about an hour of prep each day:
…once you get on set with Jim, you literally get transported into a different place. Once you’re there, you’re there, and you don’t leave for the next 15 hours, until you wrap. Working with him, you work long hours, but then you get to set the next morning and he’s cut the scene that you did the day before, and you realize that he never got any sleep. You’re a foot soldier and this guy is at war, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, when he finds something that he’s passionate about, and he’s passionate about this movie. That’s why I know the movie is going to do well.
Alonso on being part of Avatar:
To have the opportunity to be a part of this trilogy is the biggest gift I could have. Star Wars was the revolutionary sci-fi movie for the generation when I was a kid, growing up. And, I believe in my heart that Avatar is going to be the revolutionary sci-fi movie for this generation, in this era. I am always the guy who doesn’t like to oversell because, in this business, you can get so excited about something and, if it doesn’t pan out, you have egg on your face. But, this is one movie that I feel very, very confident selling, standing at the top of a mountain and screaming at the top of my lungs how great this movie is because I’ve seen it with my own two eyes.
We don’t know much about the film, this is the only plot I could find:
“Avatar is also an emotional journey of redemption and revolution. It is the story of a wounded ex-marine, thrust unwillingly into an effort to settle and exploit an exotic planet rich in biodiversity, who eventually crosses over to lead the indigenous race in a battle for survival,” and “We’re creating an entire world, a complete ecosystem of phantasmagorical plants and creatures, and a native people with a rich culture and language.” (Wiki)
Although Avatar is 255 long days away, I can’t even imagine the amount of hype that will occur in the coming months. It is my most anticipated film of the year with Shutter Island and Where The Wild Things Are being pretty close. The technology Cameron is using sounds remarkable. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until December 18th to see if he succeeds.
Do you think Avatar will be a sci-fi revolution?