Avatar vs. Avatar – Night vs. Cameron
Who blinks first in the battle of film titles?
I think I am the only person alive that enjoyed M. Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water, for some reason I guess I just don't get offended by someone's ego. Like I was recently told, "If athletes can get away with it, I'm okay with artists having swagger too." That sounds about right, why can't someone be cocky? The only thing that is going to happen is he won't be too popular with his peers and in M. Night's case this is something I know to be quite true after speaking with a director that shall remain anonymous and I don't think the news I am about to greet you with will help his case.
Only about five hours ago we posted the article that James Cameron is finally moving forward with his film Avatar, a film he has been working on and talking about openly for about – I don't know – 11 years or so. What does this have to do with Shyamalan? Well, Variety just posted word that Night is moving forward with Paramount Pictures with a film called, drum roll please… Avatar: The Last Airbender.
The film that will likely be sold as a horror but will turn out to be something else is actually an adaptation of a Nickelodeon TV show that Night will write, direct and produce with the potential for a franchise.
Night's film is is set in an Asian-influenced fantasy world permeated by martial arts and magic, follows the adventures of the successor to a long line of Avatars who must put aside his irresponsible ways and stop the Fire Nation from enslaving the Water, Earth and Air nations.
So, will we have two Avatar films in 2009? A Fox rep told Variety, "We own the movie title 'Avatar.' There won't be another film called 'Avatar' coming from anyplace." Hmmm, really? Paramount told Variety it has registered the name of its project with the Motion Picture Assn. of America.
Do I hear a cock off? I don't know, Night certainly has the balls to take on critics and Hollywood, but I have to believe Cameron is swinging a big one, after all, he made T2. We will have to wait and see who blinks first.
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