The Incredible Avatar Scene James Cameron Was Told To Cut
Director James Cameron's 2009 sci-fi epic "Avatar" was one of the world's biggest box office hits. Set in the year 2154, "Avatar" tells the story of an Earth that's quickly becoming uninhabitable due to a raging climate crisis. On a nearby moon of a neighboring gas giant, scientists have discovered a valuable mineral that can help support human life, and have started to research the biosphere of said moon — which is called Pandora. But Pandora is already home to a race of towering, blue beings called the Na'vi, who aren't thrilled about colonizers disrupting their native biome.
A paraplegic Marine named Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is tasked with exploring Pandora to learn more about its resources, but since the atmosphere is toxic to humans, the humans are connected to Na'vi-human hybrids called avatars that allow them to walk freely around Pandora. While exploring, Jake is saved by a Na'vi woman named Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), and his superiors force him to gain the Na'vi's trust and gather intel for them. As Jake and Neytiri get closer, Jake finds his loyalties shifting, and discovers the dark truth about his employer's intentions.
"Avatar" made billions at the box office, and the long-awaited sequel, "Avatar 2," is finally due to premiere in the near future. While looking back on his 2009 blockbuster, James Cameron recently revealed a major scene that caused some pushback from the film's production studio — and some sage advice for aspiring filmmakers.
James Cameron fought for the flying scene
During James Cameron's online MasterClass on filmmaking, he shared a story about one of the most breathtaking scenes from "Avatar" — where Jake first learns to ride a mountain banshee (called ikran by the Na'vi). The sequence provided beautiful aerial shots of Pandora, and stunning views of the moon's unique topography. However, Cameron revealed that the studio executives didn't think it was worth including.
According to Indiewire, Cameron simply wanted to show Jake riding a banshee even though it didn't necessarily have to be shown. "Sometimes it should just be something you want to see as a filmmaker ... and sometimes the only way to see it is to show it," he explained in his MasterClass. /Film further reported that because the flight sequence lasted for a few minutes, "someone urged [Cameron] to cut it down because they felt it didn't add anything to the plot. But Cameron countered that he didn't care — he wanted to see it, and it stayed in the movie."
The lesson here for future filmmakers? Sometimes you just have to trust your instincts, and add a little pizzazz for the beauty of it. We can't wait to see what other amazing moments we'll get to witness in "Avatar 2."