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His guest today must have made the most outrageous prediction=E2=80=A6 for =
the next 2=20
years...


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Principal photography for Avatar began in April 2007 in Los Angeles and=20
Wellington. Cameron described the film as a hybrid with a full live-action=
=20
shoot in combination with computer-generated characters and live environmen=
ts.=20
"Ideally at the end of the day the audience has no idea which they're looki=
ng=20
at," Cameron said. The director indicated that he had already worked four=
=20
months on nonprincipal scenes for the film.[66] The live action was shot wi=
th a=20
modified version of the proprietary digital 3-D Fusion Camera System, devel=
oped=20
by Cameron and Vince Pace.[67] In January 2007, Fox had announced that 3-D=
=20
filming for Avatar would be done at 24 frames per second despite Cameron's=
=20
strong opinion that a 3-D film requires higher frame rate to make strobing =
less=20
noticeable.[68] According to Cameron, the film is composed of 60%=20
computer-generated elements and 40% live action, as well as traditional=20
miniatures.[69] Motion-capture photography lasted 31 days at the Hughes=20
Aircraft stage in Playa Vista in Los Angeles.[54][70] Live action photograp=
hy=20
began in October 2007 at Stone Street Studios in Wellington and was schedul=
ed=20
to last 31 days.[71] More than a thousand people worked on the production.[=
70]=20
In preparation of the filming sequences, all of the actors underwent=20
professional training specific to their characters such as archery, horseba=
ck=20
riding, firearm use, and hand-to-hand combat. They received language and=20
dialect training in the Na'vi language created for the film.[72] Before=20
shooting the film, Cameron also sent the cast to the Hawaiian tropical=20
rainforests[73] to get a feel for a rainforest setting before shooting on t=
he=20
soundstage.[72] During filming, Cameron made use of his virtual camera syst=
em,=20
a new way of directing motion-capture filmmaking. The system shows the acto=
rs'=20
virtual counterparts in their digital surroundings in real time, allowing t=
he=20
director to adjust and direct scenes just as if shooting live action. Accor=
ding=20
to Cameron, "It's like a big, powerful game engine. If I want to fly throug=
h=20
space, or change my perspective, I can. I can turn the whole scene into a=
=20
living miniature and go through it on a 50 to 1 scale."[74] Using conventio=
nal=20
techniques, the complete virtual world cannot be seen until the motion-capt=
ure=20
of the actors is complete. Cameron said this process does not diminish the=
=20
value or importance of acting. On the contrary, because there is no need fo=
r=20
repeated camera and lighting setups, costume fittings and make-up touch-ups=
,=20
scenes do not need to be interrupted repeatedly.[75] Cameron described the=
=20
system as a "form of pure creation where if you want to move a tree or a=20
mountain or the sky or change the time of day, you have complete control ov=
er=20
the elements".[76] Cameron gave fellow directors Steven Spielberg and Peter=
=20
Jackson a chance to test the new technology.[65] Spielberg said, "I like to=
=20
think of it as digital makeup, not augmented animation ... Motion capture=
=20
brings the director back to a kind of intimacy that actors and directors on=
ly=20
know when they're working in live theater."[75] Spielberg and George Lucas =
were=20
also able to visit the set to watch Cameron direct with the equipment.[77] =
To=20
film the shots where CGI interacts with live action, a unique camera referr=
ed=20
to as a "simulcam" was used, a merger of the 3-D fusion camera and the virt=
ual=20
camera systems. While filming live action in real time with the simulcam, t=
he=20
CGI images captured with the virtual camera or designed from scratch, are=
=20
superimposed over the live action images as in augmented reality and shown =
on a=20
small monitor, making it possible for the director to instruct the actors h=
ow=20
to relate to the virtual material in the scene.[72] Due to Cameron's person=
al=20
convictions about climate change, he allowed only plant-based (vegan) food =
to=20
be served on set.=20


A number of innovative visual effects techniques were used during productio=
n.=20
According to Cameron, work on the film had been delayed since the 1990s to=
=20
allow the techniques to reach the necessary degree of advancement to adequa=
tely=20
portray his vision of the film.[13][14] The director planned to make use of=
=20
photorealistic computer-generated characters, created using new motion capt=
ure=20
animation technologies he had been developing in the 14 months leading up t=
o=20
December 2006.[74] Innovations include a new system for lighting massive ar=
eas=20
like Pandora's jungle,[80] a motion-capture stage or "volume" six times lar=
ger=20
than any previously used, and an improved method of capturing facial=20
expressions, enabling full performance capture. To achieve the face capturi=
ng,=20
actors wore individually made skull caps fitted with a tiny camera position=
ed=20
in front of the actors' faces; the information collected about their facial=
=20
expressions and eyes is then transmitted to computers.[81] According to=20
Cameron, the method allows the filmmakers to transfer 100% of the actors'=
=20
physical performances to their digital counterparts.[82] Besides the=20
performance capture data which were transferred directly to the computers,=
=20
numerous reference cameras gave the digital artists multiple angles of each=
=20
performance.[83] A technically challenging scene was near the end of the fi=
lm=20
when the computer-generated Neytiri held the live action Jake in human form=
,=20
and attention was given to the details of the shadows and reflected light=
=20
between them.[84] The lead visual effects company was Weta Digital in=20
Wellington, at one point employing 900 people to work on the film.[85] Beca=
use=20
of the huge amount of data which needed to be stored, cataloged and availab=
le=20
for everybody involved, even on the other side of the world, a new cloud=20
computing and Digital Asset Management (DAM) system named Gaia was created =
by=20
Microsoft especially for Avatar, which allowed the crews to keep track of a=
nd=20
coordinate all stages in the digital processing.[86] To render Avatar, Weta=
=20
used a 930 m2 (10,000 sq ft) server farm making use of 4,000 Hewlett-Packar=
d=20
servers with 35,000 processor cores with 104 terabytes of RAM and three=20
petabytes of network area storage running Ubuntu Linux, Grid Engine cluster=
=20
manager, and 2 of the animation software and managers, Pixar's RenderMan an=
d=20
Pixar's Alfred queue management system.[87][88][89][90] The render farm=20
occupies the 193rd to 197th spots in the TOP500 list of the world's most=20
powerful supercomputers. A new texturing and paint software system, called=
=20
Mari, was developed by The Foundry in cooperation with Weta.[91][92] Creati=
ng=20
the Na'vi characters and the virtual world of Pandora required over a petab=
yte=20
of digital storage,[93] and each minute of the final footage for Avatar=20
occupies 17.28 gigabytes of storage.[94] It would often take the computer=
=20
several hours to render a single frame of the film.[95] To help finish=20
preparing the special effects sequences on time, a number of other companie=
s=20
were brought on board, including Industrial Light & Magic, which worked=20
alongside Weta Digital to create the battle sequences. ILM was responsible =
for=20
the visual effects for many of the film's specialized vehicles and devised =
a=20
new way to make CGI explosions.[96] Joe Letteri was the film's visual effec=
ts=20
general supervisor.[97] Music and soundtrack Main article: Avatar: Music fr=
om=20
the Motion Picture James Horner =E2=80=93 "Jake Enters His Avatar World" 0:=
32 listen to=20
a clip from the score of the 2009 film Avatar. Problems playing this file? =
See=20
media help. Composer James Horner scored the film, his third collaboration =
with=20
Cameron after Aliens and Titanic.[98] Horner recorded parts of the score wi=
th a=20
small chorus singing in the alien language Na'vi in March 2008.[99] He also=
=20
worked with Wanda Bryant, an ethnomusicologist, to create a music culture f=
or=20
the alien race.[100] The first scoring sessions were planned to take place =
in=20
early 2009.[101] During production, Horner promised Cameron that he would n=
ot=20
work on any other project except for Avatar and reportedly worked on the sc=
ore=20
from four in the morning until ten at night throughout the process. He stat=
ed=20
in an interview, "Avatar has been the most difficult film I have worked on =
and=20
the biggest job I have undertaken."[102] Horner composed the score as two=
=20
different scores merged into one. He first created a score that reflected t=
he=20
Na'vi way of sound and then combined it with a separate "traditional" score=
 to=20
drive the film.[72] British singer Leona Lewis was chosen to sing the theme=
=20
song for the film, called "I See You". An accompanying music video, directe=
d by=20
Jake Nava, premiered December 15, 2009, on MySpace.

At times, our affiliate partners reach out to the Editors at Smart People M=
ail=20
with special opportunities for our readers. The message below is one we thi=
nk=20
you should take a close, serious look at.


=E2=80=8A


Avatar is primarily an action-adventure journey of self-discovery, in the=
=20
context of imperialism, and deep ecology.[104] Cameron said his inspiration=
 was=20
"every single science fiction book I read as a kid" and that he wanted to=
=20
update the style of Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter series.[11] He=20
acknowledged that Avatar shares themes with the films At Play in the Fields=
 of=20
the Lord, The Emerald Forest, and Princess Mononoke, which feature clashes=
=20
between cultures and civilizations, and with Dances with Wolves, where a=20
battered soldier finds himself drawn to the culture he was initially fighti=
ng=20
against.[105][106] He also cited Hayao Miyazaki's anime films such as Princ=
ess=20
Mononoke as an influence on the ecosystem of Pandora.[106] In 2012, Cameron=
=20
filed a 45-page legal declaration that intended to "describe in great detai=
l=20
the genesis of the ideas, themes, storylines, and images that came to be=20
Avatar."[107] In addition to historical events (such as European colonizati=
on=20
of the Americas), his life experiences and several of his unproduced projec=
ts,=20
Cameron drew connections between Avatar and his previous films. He cited hi=
s=20
script and concept art for Xenogenesis, partially produced as a short film,=
 as=20
being the basis for many of the ideas and visual designs in Avatar. He stat=
ed=20
that Avatar's "concepts of a world mind, intelligence within nature, the id=
ea=20
of projecting force or consciousness using an avatar, colonization of alien=
=20
planets, greedy corporate interests backed up by military force, the story =
of a=20
seemingly weaker group prevailing over a technologically superior force, an=
d=20
the good scientist were all established and recurrent themes" from his earl=
ier=20
films including Aliens, The Abyss, Rambo: First Blood Part II, The Terminat=
or=20
and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. He specifically mentioned the "water tentac=
le"=20
in The Abyss as an example of an "avatar" that "takes on the appearance of.=
..an=20
alien life form...in order to bridge the cultural gap and build trust."[108=
]=20
Cameron also cited a number of works by other creators as "reference points=
 and=20
sources of inspiration" for Avatar. These include two of his "favorite" fil=
ms,=20
2001: A Space Odyssey, where mankind experiences an evolution after meeting=
=20
alien life, and Lawrence of Arabia, where "an outsider...encounters and=20
immerses into a foreign culture and then ultimately joins that group to fig=
ht=20
other outsiders." Cameron said he became familiar with the concept of a hum=
an=20
operating a "synthetic avatar" inside another world from George Henry Smith=
's=20
short story "In the Imagicon" and Arthur C. Clarke's novel The City and the=
=20
Stars. He said he learned of the term "avatar" by reading the cyberpunk nov=
els=20
Neuromancer by William Gibson and Islands in the Net by Bruce Sterling. The=
=20
idea of a "world mind" originated in the novel Solaris by Stanislaw Lem.=20
Cameron mentioned several other films about people interacting with "indige=
nous=20
cultures" as inspiring him, including Dances with Wolves, The Man Who Would=
 Be=20
King, The Mission, The Emerald Forest, Medicine Man, The Jungle Book and=20
FernGully. He also cited as inspiration the John Carter and Tarzan stories =
by=20
Edgar Rice Burroughs and other adventure stories by Rudyard Kipling and H.=
=20
Rider Haggard.[108] In a 2007 interview with Time magazine, Cameron was ask=
ed=20
about the meaning of the term Avatar, to which he replied, "It's an incarna=
tion=20
of one of the Hindu gods taking a flesh form. In this film what that means =
is=20
that the human technology in the future is capable of injecting a human's=
=20
intelligence into a remotely located body, a biological body."[10] Cameron =
also=20
cited the Japanese cyberpunk manga and anime Ghost in the Shell, in terms o=
f=20
how humans can remotely control, and transfer their personalities into, ali=
en=20
bodies.[109][110] For the love story between characters Jake and Neytiri,=
=20
Cameron applied a star-crossed love theme, which he said was in the traditi=
on=20
of Romeo and Juliet.[108] He acknowledged its similarity to the pairing of =
Jack=20
and Rose from his film Titanic. An interviewer stated, "Both couples come f=
rom=20
radically different cultures that are contemptuous of their relationship an=
d=20
are forced to choose sides between the competing communities."[113] Cameron=
=20
described Neytiri as his "Pocahontas," saying that his plotline followed th=
e=20
historical story of a "white outsider [who] falls in love with the chief's=
=20
daughter, who becomes his guide to the tribe and to their special bond with=
=20
nature."[108] Cameron felt that whether or not the Jake and Neytiri love st=
ory=20
would be perceived as believable partially hinged on the physical=20
attractiveness of Neytiri's alien appearance, which was developed by=20
considering her appeal to the all-male crew of artists.[114] Although Camer=
on=20
felt Jake and Neytiri do not fall in love right away, their portrayers=20
(Worthington and Saldana) felt the characters did. Cameron said the two act=
ors=20
"had a great chemistry" during filming.[113] A gray mountain in the middle =
of a=20
forest. Pandora's floating "Hallelujah Mountains" were inspired in part by =
the=20
Chinese Huangshan mountains (pictured).[115] Zhangjiajie National Forest Pa=
rk=20
For the film's floating "Hallelujah Mountains", the designers drew inspirat=
ion=20
from "many different types of mountains, but mainly the karst limestone=20
formations in China."[116] According to production designer Dylan Cole, the=
=20
fictional floating rocks were inspired by Huangshan (also known as Yellow=
=20
Mountain), Guilin, Zhangjiajie, among others around the world.[116] Cameron=
 had=20
noted the influence of the Chinese peaks on the design of the floating=20
mountains.[117] To create the interiors of the human mining colony on Pando=
ra,=20
production designers visited the Noble Clyde Boudreaux[118] oil platform in=
 the=20
Gulf of Mexico during June 2007. They photographed, measured and filmed eve=
ry=20
aspect of the platform, which was later replicated on-screen with=20
photorealistic CGI during post-production.


The first photo of the film was released on August 14, 2009,[124] and Empir=
e=20
released exclusive images from the film in its October issue.[125] Cameron,=
=20
producer Jon Landau, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, and Sigourney Weaver appear=
ed=20
at a panel, moderated by Tom Rothman, at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con on Ju=
ly=20
23. Twenty-five minutes of footage was screened[126] in Dolby 3D.[127] Weav=
er=20
and Cameron appeared at additional panels to promote the film, speaking on =
the=20
23rd[128] and 24th[129][130] respectively. James Cameron announced at the=
=20
Comic-Con Avatar Panel that August 21 will be 'Avatar Day'. On this day, th=
e=20
trailer was released in all theatrical formats. The official game trailer a=
nd=20
toy line of the film were also unveiled on this day.[131] The 129-second=20
trailer was released online on August 20, 2009.[132] The new 210-second tra=
iler=20
was premiered in theaters on October 23, 2009, then soon after premiered on=
line=20
on Yahoo! on October 29, 2009, to positive reviews.[133][134] An extended=
=20
version in IMAX 3D received overwhelmingly positive reviews.[132] The Holly=
wood=20
Reporter said that audience expectations were colored by "the [same]=20
establishment skepticism that preceded Titanic" and suggested the showing=
=20
reflected the desire for original storytelling.[135] The teaser has been am=
ong=20
the most viewed trailers in the history of film marketing, reaching the fir=
st=20
place of all trailers viewed on Apple.com with 4 million views.[136] On Oct=
ober=20
30, to celebrate the opening of the first 3-D cinema in Vietnam, Fox allowe=
d=20
Megastar Cinema to screen exclusive 16 minutes of Avatar to a number of=20
press.[137] The three-and-a-half-minute trailer of the film premiered live =
on=20
November 1, 2009, during a Dallas Cowboys football game at Cowboys Stadium =
in=20
Arlington, Texas, on the Diamond Vision screen, one of the world's largest=
=20
video displays, and to TV audiences viewing the game on Fox. It is said to =
be=20
the largest live motion picture trailer viewing in history.[138] The Coca-C=
ola=20
Company collaborated with Fox to launch a worldwide marketing campaign to=
=20
promote the film. The highlight of the campaign was the website AVTR.com.=
=20
Specially marked bottles and cans of Coca-Cola Zero, when held in front of =
a=20
webcam, enabled users to interact with the website's 3-D features using=20
augmented reality (AR) technology.[139] The film was heavily promoted in an=
=20
episode of the Fox series Bones in the episode "The Gamer In The Grease"=20
(Season 5, Episode 9). Avatar star Joel David Moore has a recurring role on=
 the=20
program, and is seen in the episode anxiously awaiting the release of the=
=20
film.[140] A week prior to the American release, Zoe Saldana promoted the f=
ilm=20
on Adult Swim when she was interviewed by an animated Space Ghost.[141]=20
McDonald's had a promotion mentioned in television commercials in Europe ca=
lled=20
"Avatarize yourself", which encouraged people to go to the website set up b=
y=20
Oddcast, and use a photograph of themselves to change into a Na'vi.[142] Bo=
oks=20
Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pando=
ra,=20
a 224-page book in the form of a field guide to the film's fictional settin=
g of=20
the planet of Pandora, was released by Harper Entertainment on November 24,=
=20
2009.[143] It is presented as a compilation of data collected by the humans=
=20
about Pandora and the life on it, written by Maria Wilhelm and Dirk Mathiso=
n.=20
HarperFestival also released Wilhelm's 48-page James Cameron's Avatar: The=
=20
Reusable Scrapbook for children.[144] The Art of Avatar was released on=20
November 30, 2009, by Abrams Books. The book features detailed production=
=20
artwork from the film, including production sketches, illustrations by Lisa=
=20
Fitzpatrick, and film stills. Producer Jon Landau wrote the foreword, Camer=
on=20
wrote the epilogue, and director Peter Jackson wrote the preface.[145] In=
=20
October 2010, Abrams Books also released The Making of Avatar, a 272-page b=
ook=20
that detailed the film's production process and contains over 500 color=20
photographs and illustrations.[146] In a 2009 interview, Cameron said that =
he=20
planned to write a novel version of Avatar after the film was released.[147=
] In=20
February 2010, producer Jon Landau stated that Cameron plans a prequel nove=
l=20
for Avatar that will "lead up to telling the story of the movie, but it wou=
ld=20
go into much more depth about all the stories that we didn't have time to d=
eal=20
with", saying that "Jim wants to write a novel that is a big, epic story th=
at=20
fills in a lot of things".[148] In August 2013 it was announced that Camero=
n=20
hired Steven Gould to pen four standalone novels to expand the Avatar=20
universe.[149] ance Post released a special limited edition stamp based on=
=20
Avatar, coinciding with the film's worldwide release.


Dear Reader,

 Bill O=E2=80=99Reilly is at the forefront of an explosive new story=E2=80=
=A6 AGAIN=20
<https://www.bropom.com/TM0085/sterlingwhg@gmail.com/044SPM/B/OXB10>

You won=E2=80=99t see this shocking story anywhere else=E2=80=A6..

 His guest today must have made the most outrageous prediction=E2=80=A6 for=
 the next 2=20
years.

 And Bill completely lost it and could have even dismissed him from the=20
interview=E2=80=A6

 Until he remembered who he was talking to=E2=80=A6

 His guest is a researcher, futurist, investment analyst, a New York Times=
=20
bestselling financial author and former portfolio manager.

The character has a capacity for emotions but is primarily driven by logic =
and=20
curiosity. Unused to emotions and how they could influence his behavior, he=
=20
would be at times guarded or unsure how to express himself. His personality=
 has=20
been compared with Spock from Star Trek, but Thomas said he was barely awar=
e of=20
the TV series at the time[5] and was influenced by the Adam Link character=
=20
created by Otto Binder, one of the first fictional robots treated as a=20
sympathetic character rather than only a mechanical tool or a monster.[5]=
=20
Artist John Buscema designed the character by adjusting the appearance of=
=20
Aarkus. Originally, Thomas wanted the character to be colored chalk-white,=
=20
befitting his ghostly name. Printing limitations of the time would have=20
rendered him colorless by leaving that portion of the page un-inked rather =
than=20
using white ink, meaning it would be more vulnerable to smudges and that im=
ages=20
and text on the other side of the page would possibly be visible and seem t=
o=20
overlap the character. Thomas and Buscema settled on giving the character a=
=20
colorful costume and red skin. The original Vision, Aarkus, had been depict=
ed=20
with light green or sometimes light blue skin in his original comics. Red w=
as=20
chosen for the new android character because Thomas believed Marvel readers=
 had=20
gotten used to blue skin indicating a member of the Atlantean race, while g=
reen=20
skin could bring comparisons to the Hulk.[6] The android Vision first appea=
red=20
in The Avengers #57 (published in August 1968 but with a cover date indicat=
ing=20
October). The cover of the issue was an homage to the first page of the fir=
st=20
comic story to feature Aarkus. When Thomas created Ultron, he gave the robo=
t an=20
origin of having been created by Dr. Hank Pym and then turning on his creat=
or.=20
Thomas mirrored this by having Ultron create the Vision to be his son and a=
lly,=20
only to then have the new android join his enemies, the Avengers. To cement=
 the=20
character was not truly as cold and emotionless as he might appear, and tha=
t=20
the stories would not treat him as if he were, The Avengers #58 included a=
=20
scene where, after realizing he has been accepted by the Avengers not only =
as a=20
new teammate but as a person, Vision excuses himself and silently cries. Vi=
sion=20
appeared with Spider-Man in Marvel Team-Up #5 (1972), "A Passion of the Min=
d",=20
in which they defeat a giant robot scout from the Kree-Skrull War that was=
=20
interfering with Vision's brain waves. In The Avengers #75 (1970), Wanda=20
Maximoff (the Scarlet Witch) rejoins the team with her brother Pietro=20
(Quicksilver). Over time, Wanda became a love interest for Vision. Thomas=
=20
recounted, "I felt that a romance of some sort would help the character=20
development in The Avengers, and the Vision was a prime candidate because h=
e=20
appeared only in that mag... as did Wanda, for that matter. So they became =
a=20
pair, for just such practical considerations. It would also, I felt, add to=
 the=20
development I was doing on the Vision's attempting to become 'human.'"[4]=
=20
Originally, Thomas considered the Vision to be an android entirely created =
by=20
Ultron. Later, Ultron had built the Vision from the body of the original Hu=
man=20
Torch, who had been described in his Golden Age stories as a perfect, synth=
etic=20
replica of a human being. Thomas only planted a vague clue to this in The=
=20
Avengers #93 before leaving the series as writer. This aspect of the Vision=
's=20
origin was finally revealed in The Avengers #134=E2=80=93135 (1975). Writer=
 Steve=20
Englehart explained, "That plot was well known in-house for years, and sinc=
e=20
Roy [Thomas] and Neal [Adams] hadn't had a chance to do it, I did it on my=
=20
watch with Roy's blessing."[7] After learning that he had once been the=20
original Human Torch in another life, Vision felt a stronger sense of ident=
ity.=20
Englehart then had Vision and Scarlet Witch marry in Giant-Size Avengers #4=
=20
(June 1975). However, in a story written for the "What If...." anthology bu=
t=20
intended to be in continuity,[8] Thomas suggested that the Vision was actua=
lly=20
built by Ultron from a different android that, like the Human Torch, had be=
en=20
designed and built by Phineas Horton, known as Adam II.[9] Years later, the=
=20
couple starred in their first limited series called The Vision and the Scar=
let=20
Witch #1=E2=80=934 (Nov. 1982 =E2=80=93 Feb. 1983), by writer Bill Mantlo a=
nd penciller Rick=20
Leonardi. The mini-series showed Vision and Wanda moving into a house in=20
Leonia, New Jersey, hoping to strengthen their marriage by enjoying a life =
and=20
experiences outside of the Avengers. This was followed by a second limited=
=20
series that lasted 12 issues (Oct. 1985 =E2=80=93 Sept. 1986), written by S=
teve=20
Englehart and penciled by Richard Howell. Despite their previous home being=
=20
burned down by people who consider the marriage of an android and a mutant =
to=20
be unnatural, Vision and Wanda move back to Leonia and again attempt to liv=
e a=20
suburban life outside of their duties as superheroes. The series cemented t=
hat=20
the Vision and Simon Williams (Wonder Man) now regarded each other as twin=
=20
brothers, since part of Vision's programming was based on the brainwave pat=
tern=20
of Simon. Early in the series, the Scarlet Witch is a colony of sorcerers=
=20
during a deadly, magical ritual. The Scarlet Witch temporarily taps into th=
is=20
powerful magical energy and is able to grant herself a wish for a family. S=
he=20
becomes pregnant and nine months later gives birth to twin boys, Thomas and=
=20
William ("Billy"). Englehart later took over as writer for the Avengers=20
spin-off series West Coast Avengers, featuring a new branch of the team tha=
t=20
was based in Los Angeles. Having grown fond of Vision and Wanda, he added t=
hem=20
to the Avengers West team. Later on, John Byrne took over as writer/pencill=
er=20
for West Coast Avengers (which would soon be retitled Avengers West Coast).=
=20
Byrne believed it was a mistake to give an android character emotions and t=
o=20
give him and Wanda a family. His "Vision Quest" story in West Coast Avenger=
s=20
#42=E2=80=9345 (March =E2=80=93 June 1989) had the Vision dismantled, his h=
uman brain patterns=20
wiped out, and his artificial skin rendered chalk-white (modern printing=20
techniques and paper meant it was now more feasible to give a character=20
chalk-white skin or costumes). Rather than portray the Vision as a syntheti=
c=20
man, Byrne depicted his parts as purely robotic and his skin as a costume-l=
ike=20
shell. Journalist Karen Walker later commented, "This image alone has proba=
bly=20
done more to shape how future writers (and readers) perceive the character =
than=20
anything before or since. Once seen broken down into component parts, it's =
hard=20
to truly move past that image and think of Vision as a synthetic man, not a=
=20
machine."[4] Vision's memories were restored but not his emotions. As such,=
 he=20
could no longer reciprocate Wanda's feelings or even express love for his=
=20
children, which led to the annulment of their marriage. Byrne then went=20
further, undoing the Vision's origin by revealing he was not the original=
=20
Torch. The same issue depicted the original Human Torch being reactivated a=
nd=20
meeting the Vision face to face. Following this, Byrne revealed that the=20
children of Vision and Wanda were not real, explaining that Scarlet Witch h=
ad=20
suffered a "hysterical pregnancy" and her temporarily increased power had=
=20
projected this desire for children into creating imaginary constructs. The=
=20
children were then wiped from existence. Further trauma led to Wanda becomi=
ng=20
catatonic soon afterward. Rather than nurse his wife, Vision left Avengers=
=20
West, concluding he could not help Wanda further and his presence would be =
more=20
useful as a member of the NYC based team. Byrne also had Vision refuse an o=
ffer=20
by Wonder Man to restore human brain patterns to his mind, possibly restori=
ng=20
his capacity for emotions in the process. In Avengers Spotlight #40 (1991),=
=20
Vision realized a human brainwave pattern was necessary for his operation a=
nd=20
gained one based on deceased research scientist Alex Lipton. This restored =
some=20
of Vision's for emotion and empathy. The same story featured Vision gaining=
 a=20
personal holographic projector so he could assume the guise of an average=
=20
person and mingle with humanity more to learn a greater understanding of=20
people. This identity was called "Victor Shade." Marvel later decided to=20
restore the Vision's original red-skinned appearance. To do this, an emotio=
nal=20
and villainous Vision from a parallel timeline was introduced as member of =
the=20
Gatherers, a new group of enemies to the Avengers. This alternate Vision=20
(sometimes called Anti-Vision) infiltrated the Avengers team by exchanging =
his=20
mind with the heroic Vision.[10] After another battle with the Gatherers, t=
he=20
Anti-Vision escaped, still housed in the chalk-white body. The heroic Visio=
n=20
returned to the Avengers, now once again with red-colored skin.[11] This=20
occurred in The Avengers #360-363, by writer Bob Harras and artists Steve=
=20
Epting and Tom Palmer. In late 1994, writer Bob Harras and penciller Manny=
=20
Clark produced the first Vision limited series, lasting 4 issues.[12] The=
=20
series featured Vision suffering a mental breakdown, as his original=20
personality (based on the brainwaves of Wonder Man) began to emerge and cla=
sh=20
with the Adam Lipton emotions. After fighting the Anti-Vision again, Vision=
=20
found mental and emotional balance again, now with full emotional capacity=
=20
restored. Later on, he revealed that this also meant he had regained the=20
emotions tied to his memories from before being dismantled, including his=
=20
feelings for Wanda. A four-issue series, Avengers Icons: The Vision, was=20
published in late 2002, written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis. T=
he=20
mini-series featured Vision meeting people related to Phineas T. Horton, th=
e=20
original Human Torch's creator. Vision considered these people to now be hi=
s=20
family. The story arc Avengers Disassembled featured the Vision being=20
destroyed. The story included an explanation that he was damaged beyond rep=
air.=20
Soon afterward, the original Young Avengers series introduced a new Vision,=
=20
whose personality was created by a combination of the synthezoid Vision's=
=20
programming and mental engrams of the hero Iron Lad. It is later revealed t=
hat=20
the Young Avengers members Wiccan and Speed are teenage reincarnations of W=
anda=20
and Vision's children Billy and Thomas, indicating they might have been rea=
l=20
all along. He predicted the dot-com collapse... the rise of digital and med=
ical=20
technology=E2=80=A6

 The housing crisis and the 10-year bull market that followed=E2=80=A6=20

 He nailed all of those.=20

 And along the way he=E2=80=99s even helped Bill make a lot of money.=20

Bill has voluntarily made this extraordinary video public so everyone can s=
ee=20
it for themselves=E2=80=A6=20

 Viewer discretion is advised=E2=80=A6=20

 <https://www.bropom.com/TM0085/sterlingwhg@gmail.com/044SPM/B/OXB10>=20
Initial screening Avatar premiered in London on December 10, 2009, and was=
=20
released theatrically worldwide from December 16 to 18.[156] The film was=
=20
originally set for release on May 22, 2009, during filming[157] but was pus=
hed=20
back to allow more post-production time (the last shots were delivered in=
=20
November)[80] and give more time for theaters worldwide to install 3D=20
projectors.[158] Cameron stated that the film's aspect ratio would be 1.78:=
1=20
for 3D screenings and that a 2.39:1 image would be extracted for 2D=20
screenings.[159][160] However, a 3D 2.39:1 extract was approved for use wit=
h=20
constant-image-height screens (i.e., screens that increase in width to disp=
lay=20
2.39:1 films).[161] During a 3D preview showing in Germany on December 16, =
the=20
movie's DRM "protection" system malfunctioned, and some copies delivered=20
weren=E2=80=99t watched at all in the theaters. The problems were fixed in =
time for the=20
public premiere.[162] Avatar was released in a total of 3,457 theaters in t=
he=20
US, of which 2,032 theaters showed it in 3D. In total, 90% of all advance=
=20
ticket sales for Avatar were for 3D screenings.[163] Internationally, Avata=
r=20
opened on a total of 14,604 screens in 106 territories, of which 3,671 were=
=20
showing the film in 3D (producing 56% of the first weekend gross).[164][165=
]=20
The film was simultaneously presented in IMAX 3D format, opening in 178=20
theaters in the United States on December 18. The international IMAX releas=
e=20
included 58 theaters beginning on December 16, and 25 more theaters were to=
 be=20
added in the coming weeks.[166] The IMAX release was the company's widest t=
o=20
date, a total of 261 theaters worldwide. The previous IMAX record opening w=
as=20
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which opened in 161 IMAX theaters i=
n=20
the US, and about 70 international.[167] 20th Century Fox Korea adapted and=
=20
later released Avatar in 4D version, which included "moving seats, smells o=
f=20
explosives, sprinkling water, laser lights and wind".[20] Post-original rel=
ease=20
In July 2010, Cameron confirmed that there would be an extended theatrical=
=20
rerelease of the film on August 27, 2010, exclusively in 3D theaters and IM=
AX=20
3D.[168] Avatar: Special Edition includes an additional nine minutes of=20
footage, all of which is CG,[169] including an extension of the sex scene[1=
70]=20
and various other scenes that were cut from the original theatrical film.[1=
69]=20
This extended re-release resulted in the film's run time approaching the=20
then-current IMAX platter maximum of 170 minutes, thereby leaving less time=
 for=20
the end credits. Cameron stated that the nine minutes of added scenes cost =
more=20
than $1 million a minute to produce and finish.[171] During its 12-week=20
re-release, Avatar: Special Edition grossed an additional $10.74 million in=
=20
North America and $22.46 million overseas for a worldwide total of $33.2=20
million.[5] The film was later re-released in China in March 2021, allowing=
 it=20
to surpass Avengers: Endgame to become the highest-grossing film of all=20
time.[24] Avatar was re-released in theaters on September 23, 2022, by Walt=
=20
Disney Studios Motion Pictures for a limited two week engagement, with the =
film=20
being remastered in 4K high-dynamic range, with select scenes at a high fra=
me=20
rate of 48-frames-per-second.[172] The reissue was prior to the December 20=
22=20
premiere of its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water.[173] Prior to this, Camer=
on=20
previously teased a re-release of the film back in 2017 when promoting the=
=20
Dolby Cinema re-release of Titanic, stating that there were plans in the wo=
rks=20
to remaster the film with Dolby Vision and re-release it in Dolby Cinema.


Home media 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released the film on DVD and=
=20
Blu-ray in the US on April 22, 2010,[175] and in the UK on April 26.[176] T=
he=20
US release was not on a Tuesday as is the norm, but was done to coincide wi=
th=20
Earth Day.[177] The first DVD and Blu-ray release does not contain any=20
supplemental features other than the theatrical film and the disc menu in f=
avor=20
of and to make space for optimal picture and sound. The release also preser=
ves=20
the film's native 1.78:1 (16:9) format as Cameron felt that was the best fo=
rmat=20
to watch the film.[178] The Blu-ray disc contains DRM (BD+ 5) which some=20
Blu-ray players might not support without a firmware update.[179][180] Avat=
ar=20
set a first-day launch record in the U.S. for Blu-ray sales at 1.5 million=
=20
units sold, breaking the record previously held by The Dark Knight (600,000=
=20
units sold). First-day DVD and Blu-ray sales combined were over four millio=
n=20
units sold.[181] In its first four days of release, sales of Avatar on Blu-=
ray=20
reached 2.7 million in the United States and Canada =E2=80=93 overtaking Th=
e Dark=20
Knight to become the best ever selling Blu-ray release in the region.[182][=
183]=20
The release later broke the Blu-ray sales record in the UK the following=20
week.[184] In its first three weeks of release, the film sold a total of 19=
.7=20
million DVD and Blu-ray discs combined, a new record for sales in that=20
period.[185] As of July 18, 2012, DVD sales (not including Blu-ray) totaled=
=20
over 10.5 million units sold with $190,806,055 in revenue.[186] Avatar reta=
ined=20
its record as the top-selling Blu-ray in the US market until January 2015, =
when=20
it was surpassed by Disney's Frozen.[187] The Avatar three-disc Extended=20
Collector's Edition on DVD and Blu-ray was released on November 16, 2010. T=
hree=20
different versions of the film are present on the discs: the original=20
theatrical cut (162 minutes), the special edition cut (170 minutes), and a=
=20
collector's extended cut (178 minutes). The DVD set spreads the film across=
 two=20
discs, while the Blu-ray set presents it on a single disc.[188] The collect=
or's=20
extended cut contains 8 more minutes of footage, thus making it 16 minutes=
=20
longer than the original theatrical cut. Cameron mentioned, "you can sit do=
wn,=20
and in a continuous screening of the film, watch it with the Earth opening"=
. He=20
stated the "Earth opening" is an additional 4+1=E2=81=842 minutes of scenes=
 that were=20
in the film for much of its production but were ultimately cut before the=
=20
film's theatrical release.[189] The release also includes an additional 45=
=20
minutes of deleted scenes and other extras.[188] Cameron initially stated t=
hat=20
Avatar would be released in 3D around November 2010, but the studio issued =
a=20
correction: "3-D is in the conceptual stage and Avatar will not be out on 3=
D=20
Blu-ray in November."[190] In May 2010, Fox stated that the 3D version woul=
d be=20
released some time in 2011.[185] It was later revealed that Fox had given=
=20
Panasonic an exclusive license for the 3D Blu-ray version and only with the=
=20
purchase of a Panasonic 3DTV. The length of Panasonic's exclusivity period =
is=20
stated to last until February 2012.[191] On October 2010, Cameron stated th=
at=20
the standalone 3D Blu-ray would be the final version of the film's home rel=
ease=20
and that it was "maybe one, two years out".[192] On Christmas Eve 2010, Ava=
tar=20
had its 3D television world premiere on Sky.[193][194][195] On August 13, 2=
012,=20
Cameron announced on Facebook that Avatar would be released globally on Blu=
-ray=20
3D.[196] The Blu-ray 3D version was finally released on October 16, 2012.[1=
97]=20
Reception Critical response On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 82% of 31=
9=20
reviews are positive, and the average rating is 7.4/10. The site's consensu=
s=20
reads, "It might be more impressive on a technical level than as a piece of=
=20
storytelling, but Avatar reaffirms James Cameron's singular gift for=20
imaginative, absorbing filmmaking."[198] On Metacritic =E2=80=94 which assi=
gns a=20
weighted mean score =E2=80=94 the film has a score of 83 out of 100 based o=
n 35=20
critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[199] Audiences polled by CinemaSco=
re=20
gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. Every demographi=
c=20
surveyed was reported to give this rating. These polls also indicated that =
the=20
main draw of the film was its use of 3D.[200] Roger Ebert of the Chicago=20
Sun-Times called the film "extraordinary" and gave it four stars out of fou=
r.=20
"Watching Avatar, I felt sort of the same as when I saw Star Wars in 1977,"=
 he=20
said, adding that like Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship =
of=20
the Ring, the film "employs a new generation of special effects" and it "is=
 not=20
simply a sensational entertainment, although it is that. It's a technical=
=20
breakthrough. It has a flat-out Green and anti-war message".[201] A. O. Sco=
tt=20
of At The Movies also compared his viewing of the film to the first time he=
=20
viewed Star Wars and he said "although the script is a little bit ... obvio=
us,"=20
it was "part of what made it work".[202][203] Todd McCarthy of Variety prai=
sed=20
the film, saying "The King of the World sets his sights on creating another=
=20
world entirely in Avatar, and it's very much a place worth visiting."[204] =
Kirk=20
Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review. "The=
=20
screen is alive with more action and the soundtrack pops with more robust m=
usic=20
than any dozen sci-fi shoot-'em-ups you care to mention," he stated.[205] P=
eter=20
Travers of Rolling Stone awarded Avatar a three-and-a-half out of four star=
=20
rating and wrote in his print review "It extends the possibilities of what=
=20
movies can do. Cameron's talent may just be as big as his dreams."[206] Ric=
hard=20
Corliss of Time magazine thought that the film was "the most vivid and=20
convincing creation of a fantasy world ever seen in the history of moving=
=20
pictures."[207] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times thought the film has=
=20
"powerful" visual accomplishments but "flat dialogue" and "obvious=20
characterization".[208] James Berardinelli of ReelViews praised the film an=
d=20
its story, giving it four out of four stars; he wrote "In 3-D, it's immersi=
ve =E2=80=93=20
but the traditional film elements =E2=80=93 story, character, editing, them=
e, emotional=20
resonance, etc. =E2=80=93 are presented with sufficient expertise to make e=
ven the 2-D=20
version an engrossing 2+1=E2=81=842-hour experience."[209] Avatar's underly=
ing social=20
and political themes attracted attention. Armond White of the New York Pres=
s=20
wrote that Cameron used "villainous American characters" to "misrepresent=
=20
facets of militarism, capitalism, and imperialism".[210][211] Russell D. Mo=
ore=20
of The Christian Post concluded that "propaganda exists in the film" and st=
ated=20
"If you can get a theater full of people in Kentucky to stand and applaud t=
he=20
defeat of their country in war, then you've got some amazing special=20
effects."[212] Adam Cohen of The New York Times was more positive about the=
=20
film, calling its anti-imperialist message "a 22nd-century version of the=
=20
American colonists vs. the British, India vs. the Raj, or Latin America vs.=
=20
United Fruit".[213] Ross Douthat of The New York Times opined that the film=
 is=20
"Cameron's long apologia for pantheism [...] Hollywood's religion of choice=
 for=20
a generation now",[214] while Saritha Prabhu of The Tennessean called the f=
ilm=20
a "misportrayal of pantheism and Eastern spirituality in general",[215] and=
=20
Maxim Osipov of The Hindustan Times, on the contrary, commended the film's=
=20
message for its overall consistency with the teachings of Hinduism in the=
=20
Bhagavad Gita.[216] Annalee Newitz of io9 concluded that Avatar is another =
film=20
that has the recurring "fantasy about race" whereby "some white guy" become=
s=20
the "most awesome" member of a non-white culture.[217] Michael Phillips of =
the=20
Chicago Tribune called Avatar "the season's ideological Rorschach blot",[21=
8]=20
while Miranda Devine of The Sydney Morning Herald thought that "It [was]=20
impossible to watch Avatar without being banged over the head with the=20
director's ideological hammer."[219] Nidesh Lawtoo believed that an essenti=
al,=20
yet less visible social theme that contributed to Avatar's success concerns=
=20
contemporary fascinations with virtual avatars and "the transition from the=
=20
world of reality to that of virtual reality".[220] Critics and audiences ha=
ve=20
cited similarities with other films, literature or media, describing the=20
perceived connections in ways ranging from simple "borrowing" to outright=
=20
plagiarism. Ty Burr of The Boston Globe called it "the same movie" as Dance=
s=20
with Wolves.[221] Like Dances with Wolves, Avatar has been characterized as=
=20
being a "white savior" movie, in which a "backwards" native people is impot=
ent=20
without the leadership of a member of the invading white culture.[222][223]=
=20
Parallels to the concept and use of an avatar are in Poul Anderson's 1957=
=20
novelette "Call Me Joe", in which a paralyzed man uses his mind from orbit =
to=20
control an artificial body on Jupiter.[224][225] Cinema audiences in Russia=
=20
have noted that Avatar has elements in common with the 1960s Noon Universe=
=20
novels by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, which are set in the 22nd century on=
 a=20
forested world called Pandora with a sentient indigenous species called the=
=20
Nave.[226] Various reviews have compared Avatar to the films FernGully: The=
=20
Last Rainforest,[227][228] Pocahontas[229] and The Last Samurai.[230] NPR's=
=20
Morning Edition has compared the film to a montage of tropes, with one=20
commentator stating that Avatar was made by "mixing a bunch of film scripts=
 in=20
a blender".[231] Gary Westfahl wrote that "the science fiction story that m=
ost=20
closely resembles Avatar has to be Ursula Le Guin's novella The Word for Wo=
rld=20
Is Forest (1972), another epic about a benevolent race of alien beings who=
=20
happily inhabit dense forests while living in harmony with nature until the=
y=20
are attacked and slaughtered by invading human soldiers who believe that th=
e=20
only good gook is a dead gook".[225] The science fiction writer and editor=
=20
Gardner Dozois said that along with the Anderson and Le Guin stories, the=
=20
"mash-up" included Alan Dean Foster's 1975 novel, Midworld.[232] Some sourc=
es=20
saw similarities to the artwork of Roger Dean, which features fantastic ima=
ges=20
of dragons and floating rock formations.[233][234] In 2013, Dean sued Camer=
on=20
and Fox, claiming that Pandora was inspired by 14 of his images. Dean sough=
t=20
damages of $50m.[235] Dean's case was dismissed in 2014, and The Hollywood=
=20
Reporter noted that Cameron had won multiple Avatar idea theft cases.[236]=
=20
Avatar received compliments from filmmakers, with Steven Spielberg praising=
 it=20
as "the most evocative and amazing science-fiction movie since Star Wars" a=
nd=20
others calling it "audacious and awe inspiring", "master class", and=20
"brilliant". Noted art director-turned-filmmaker Roger Christian is also a=
=20
noted fan of the film.[237] On the other hand, Duncan Jones said: "It's not=
 in=20
my top three James Cameron films. ... [A]t what point in the film did you h=
ave=20
any doubt what was going to happen next?".[238] For French filmmaker Luc=20
Besson, Avatar opened the doors for him to now create an adaptation of the=
=20
graphic novel series Val=C3=A9rian and Laureline that technologically suppo=
rts the=20
scope of its source material, with Besson even throwing his original script=
 in=20
the trash and redoing it after seeing the film.[239] TIME ranked Avatar num=
ber=20
3 in their list of "The 10 Greatest Movies of the Millennium (Thus Far)"[24=
0]=20
also earning it a spot on the magazine's All-Time 100 list,[241] and IGN li=
sted=20
Avatar as number 22 on their list of the top 25 Sci-Fi movies of all time.=
=20


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 After the film's release and unusually strong box office performance over =
its=20
first two weeks, it was debated as the one film capable of surpassing Titan=
ic's=20
worldwide gross, and its continued strength perplexed box office analysts.[=
294]=20
Other films in recent years had been cited as contenders for surpassing=20
Titanic, such as 2008's The Dark Knight,[295] but Avatar was considered the=
=20
first film with a genuine chance to do so, and its numbers being aided by=
=20
higher ticket prices for 3D screenings[294] did not fully explain its succe=
ss=20
to box office analysts. "Most films are considered to be healthy if they ma=
nage=20
anything less than a 50% drop from their first weekend to their second. Dip=
ping=20
just 11% from the first to the third is unheard of," said Paul Dergarabedia=
n,=20
president of box-office analysis for Hollywood.com. "This is just=20
unprecedented. I had to do a double take. I thought it was a=20
miscalculation."[296] Analysts predicted second place for the film's worldw=
ide=20
gross, but most were uncertain about it surpassing Titanic because "Today's=
=20
films flame out much faster than they did when Titanic was released."[296]=
=20
Brandon Gray, president of Box Office Mojo, believed in the film's chances =
of=20
becoming the highest-grossing film of all time, though he also believed it =
was=20
too early to surmise because it had only played during the holidays. He sai=
d,=20
"While Avatar may beat Titanic's record, it will be tough, and the film is=
=20
unlikely to surpass Titanic in attendance. Ticket prices were about $3 chea=
per=20
in the late 1990s."[296] Cameron said he did not think it was realistic to =
"try=20
to topple Titanic off its perch" because it "just struck some kind of chord=
"=20
and there had been other good films in recent years.[297] He changed his=20
prediction by mid-January. "It's gonna happen. It's just a matter of time,"=
 he=20
said.[298] You've got to compete head on with these other epic works of fan=
tasy=20
and fiction, the Tolkiens and the Star Wars and the Star Treks. People want=
 a=20
persistent alternate reality to invest themselves in and they want the deta=
il=20
that makes it rich and worth their time. They want to live somewhere else. =
Like=20
Pandora. James Cameron on the success of Avatar[299] Although analysts have=
=20
been unable to agree that Avatar's success is attributable to one primary=
=20
factor, several explanations have been advanced. First, January is historic=
ally=20
"the dumping ground for the year's weakest films", and this also applied to=
=20
2010.[300] Cameron himself said he decided to open the film in December so =
that=20
it would have less competition from then to January.[287] Titanic capitaliz=
ed=20
on the same January predictability, and earned most of its gross in 1998.[3=
00]=20
Additionally, Avatar established itself as a "must-see" event. Gray said, "=
At=20
this point, people who are going to see Avatar are going to see Avatar and=
=20
would even if the slate was strong."[300] Marketing the film as a "novelty=
=20
factor" also helped. Fox positioned the film as a cinematic event that shou=
ld=20
be seen in the theaters. "It's really hard to sell the idea that you can ha=
ve=20
the same experience at home," stated David Mumpower, an analyst at=20
BoxOfficeProphets.com.[300] The "Oscar buzz" surrounding the film and=20
international viewings helped. "Two-thirds of Titanic's haul was earned=20
overseas, and Avatar [tracked] similarly ...Avatar opened in 106 markets=20
globally and was No. 1 in all of them", and the markets "such as Russia, wh=
ere=20
Titanic saw modest receipts in 1997 and 1998, are white-hot today" with "mo=
re=20
screens and moviegoers" than before.[300] According to Variety, films in 3D=
=20
accumulated $1.3 billion in 2009, "a threefold increase over 2008 and more =
than=20
10% of the total 2009 box-office gross". The increased ticket price =E2=80=
=93 an=20
average of $2 to $3 per ticket in most markets =E2=80=93 helped the film.[3=
00]=20
Likewise, Entertainment Weekly attributed the film's success to 3D glasses =
but=20
also to its "astronomic word-of-mouth". Not only do some theaters charge up=
 to=20
$18.50 for IMAX tickets, but "the buzz" created by the new technology was t=
he=20
possible cause for sold-out screenings.[301] Gray said Avatar having no bas=
is=20
in previously established material makes its performance remarkable and eve=
n=20
more impressive. "The movie might be derivative of many movies in its story=
 and=20
themes," he said, "but it had no direct antecedent like the other top-gross=
ing=20
films: Titanic (historical events), the Star Wars movies (an established fi=
lm=20
franchise), or The Lord of the Rings (literature). It was a tougher sell=20
..."[300] The Hollywood Reporter estimated that after a combined production=
 and=20
promotion cost of between $387=E2=80=93437 million, the film turned a net p=
rofit of=20
$1.2 billion.
------=_Part_9626_1523378940.1707099108322
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dth=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" role=3D"prese=
ntation" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; mso-table-lspace: 0; mso-table-rs=
pace: 0;"><tbody style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><tr style=3D"box-sizing:=
 border-box;"><td style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><table class=3D"row-con=
tent stack" align=3D"center" border=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"=
0" role=3D"presentation" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; mso-table-lspace:=
 0; mso-table-rspace: 0; background-color: #fff; border-radius: 0; color: #=
000; width: 600px; margin: 0 auto;" width=3D"600" bgcolor=3D"#fff"><tbody s=
tyle=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><tr style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><td =
class=3D"column column-1" width=3D"100%" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; m=
so-table-lspace: 0; mso-table-rspace: 0; font-weight: 400; text-align: left=
; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-top: 2px; vertical-align: top; border-top: 0=
; border-right: 0; border-bottom: 0; border-left: 0;" align=3D"left" valign=
=3D"top"><table class=3D"html_block block-1" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" ce=
llpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" role=3D"presentation" style=3D"box-sizing=
: border-box; mso-table-lspace: 0; mso-table-rspace: 0;"><tr style=3D"box-s=
izing: border-box;"><td class=3D"pad" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><di=
v style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial,Helvetica Neue,Helvet=
ica,sans-serif; text-align: center;" align=3D"center"><div style=3D"box-siz=
ing: border-box; display: none; width: 0px; max-height: 0px; overflow: hidd=
en; mso-hide: all; height: 0; font-size: 0; max-height: 0; line-height: 0; =
margin: 0;">Principal photography for Avatar began in April 2007 in Los Ang=
eles and Wellington. Cameron described the film as a hybrid with a full liv=
e-action shoot in combination with computer-generated characters and live e=
nvironments. "Ideally at the end of the day the audience has no idea which =
they're looking at," Cameron said. The director indicated that he had alrea=
dy worked four months on nonprincipal scenes for the film.[66] The live act=
ion was shot with a modified version of the proprietary digital 3-D Fusion =
Camera System, developed by Cameron and Vince Pace.[67] In January 2007, Fo=
x had announced that 3-D filming for Avatar would be done at 24 frames per =
second despite Cameron's strong opinion that a 3-D film requires higher fra=
me rate to make strobing less noticeable.[68] According to Cameron, the fil=
m is composed of 60% computer-generated elements and 40% live action, as we=
ll as traditional miniatures.[69] Motion-capture photography lasted 31 days=
 at the Hughes Aircraft stage in Playa Vista in Los Angeles.[54][70] Live a=
ction photography began in October 2007 at Stone Street Studios in Wellingt=
on and was scheduled to last 31 days.[71] More than a thousand people worke=
d on the production.[70] In preparation of the filming sequences, all of th=
e actors underwent professional training specific to their characters such =
as archery, horseback riding, firearm use, and hand-to-hand combat. They re=
ceived language and dialect training in the Na'vi language created for the =
film.[72] Before shooting the film, Cameron also sent the cast to the Hawai=
ian tropical rainforests[73] to get a feel for a rainforest setting before =
shooting on the soundstage.[72] During filming, Cameron made use of his vir=
tual camera system, a new way of directing motion-capture filmmaking. The s=
ystem shows the actors' virtual counterparts in their digital surroundings =
in real time, allowing the director to adjust and direct scenes just as if =
shooting live action. According to Cameron, "It's like a big, powerful game=
 engine. If I want to fly through space, or change my perspective, I can. I=
 can turn the whole scene into a living miniature and go through it on a 50=
 to 1 scale."[74] Using conventional techniques, the complete virtual world=
 cannot be seen until the motion-capture of the actors is complete. Cameron=
 said this process does not diminish the value or importance of acting. On =
the contrary, because there is no need for repeated camera and lighting set=
ups, costume fittings and make-up touch-ups, scenes do not need to be inter=
rupted repeatedly.[75] Cameron described the system as a "form of pure crea=
tion where if you want to move a tree or a mountain or the sky or change th=
e time of day, you have complete control over the elements".[76] Cameron ga=
ve fellow directors Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson a chance to test the=
 new technology.[65] Spielberg said, "I like to think of it as digital make=
up, not augmented animation ... Motion capture brings the director back to =
a kind of intimacy that actors and directors only know when they're working=
 in live theater."[75] Spielberg and George Lucas were also able to visit t=
he set to watch Cameron direct with the equipment.[77] To film the shots wh=
ere CGI interacts with live action, a unique camera referred to as a "simul=
cam" was used, a merger of the 3-D fusion camera and the virtual camera sys=
tems. While filming live action in real time with the simulcam, the CGI ima=
ges captured with the virtual camera or designed from scratch, are superimp=
osed over the live action images as in augmented reality and shown on a sma=
ll monitor, making it possible for the director to instruct the actors how =
to relate to the virtual material in the scene.[72] Due to Cameron's person=
al convictions about climate change, he allowed only plant-based (vegan) fo=
od to be served on set. </div></div></td></tr> </table></td></tr></tbody></=
table></td></tr></tbody></table><table class=3D"row row-4" align=3D"center"=
 width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" role=3D"pr=
esentation" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; mso-table-lspace: 0; mso-table=
-rspace: 0; background-size: auto;"><tbody style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;=
"><tr style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><td style=3D"box-sizing: border-box=
;"><table class=3D"row-content stack" align=3D"center" border=3D"0" cellpad=
ding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" role=3D"presentation" style=3D"box-sizing: bor=
der-box; mso-table-lspace: 0; mso-table-rspace: 0; background-color: #fff; =
background-size: auto; color: #000; width: 600px; margin: 0 auto;" width=3D=
"600" bgcolor=3D"#fff"><tbody style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><tr style=
=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><td class=3D"column column-1" width=3D"100%" s=
tyle=3D"box-sizing: border-box; mso-table-lspace: 0; mso-table-rspace: 0; f=
ont-weight: 400; text-align: left; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-top: 2px; v=
ertical-align: top; border-top: 0; border-right: 0; border-bottom: 0; borde=
r-left: 0;" align=3D"left" valign=3D"top"><table class=3D"html_block block-=
1" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" role=3D"=
presentation" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; mso-table-lspace: 0; mso-tab=
le-rspace: 0;"><tr style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><td class=3D"pad" styl=
e=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><div style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; font-fa=
mily: Arial,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;" align=
=3D"center"><div style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; display: none; width: 0px=
; max-height: 0px; overflow: hidden; mso-hide: all; height: 0; font-size: 0=
; max-height: 0; line-height: 0; margin: 0;">A number of innovative visual =
effects techniques were used during production. According to Cameron, work =
on the film had been delayed since the 1990s to allow the techniques to rea=
ch the necessary degree of advancement to adequately portray his vision of =
the film.[13][14] The director planned to make use of photorealistic comput=
er-generated characters, created using new motion capture animation technol=
ogies he had been developing in the 14 months leading up to December 2006.[=
74] Innovations include a new system for lighting massive areas like Pandor=
a's jungle,[80] a motion-capture stage or "volume" six times larger than an=
y previously used, and an improved method of capturing facial expressions, =
enabling full performance capture. To achieve the face capturing, actors wo=
re individually made skull caps fitted with a tiny camera positioned in fro=
nt of the actors' faces; the information collected about their facial expre=
ssions and eyes is then transmitted to computers.[81] According to Cameron,=
 the method allows the filmmakers to transfer 100% of the actors' physical =
performances to their digital counterparts.[82] Besides the performance cap=
ture data which were transferred directly to the computers, numerous refere=
nce cameras gave the digital artists multiple angles of each performance.[8=
3] A technically challenging scene was near the end of the film when the co=
mputer-generated Neytiri held the live action Jake in human form, and atten=
tion was given to the details of the shadows and reflected light between th=
em.[84] The lead visual effects company was Weta Digital in Wellington, at =
one point employing 900 people to work on the film.[85] Because of the huge=
 amount of data which needed to be stored, cataloged and available for ever=
ybody involved, even on the other side of the world, a new cloud computing =
and Digital Asset Management (DAM) system named Gaia was created by Microso=
ft especially for Avatar, which allowed the crews to keep track of and coor=
dinate all stages in the digital processing.[86] To render Avatar, Weta use=
d a 930 m2 (10,000 sq ft) server farm making use of 4,000 Hewlett-Packard s=
ervers with 35,000 processor cores with 104 terabytes of RAM and three peta=
bytes of network area storage running Ubuntu Linux, Grid Engine cluster man=
ager, and 2 of the animation software and managers, Pixar's RenderMan and P=
ixar's Alfred queue management system.[87][88][89][90] The render farm occu=
pies the 193rd to 197th spots in the TOP500 list of the world's most powerf=
ul supercomputers. A new texturing and paint software system, called Mari, =
was developed by The Foundry in cooperation with Weta.[91][92] Creating the=
 Na'vi characters and the virtual world of Pandora required over a petabyte=
 of digital storage,[93] and each minute of the final footage for Avatar oc=
cupies 17.28 gigabytes of storage.[94] It would often take the computer sev=
eral hours to render a single frame of the film.[95] To help finish prepari=
ng the special effects sequences on time, a number of other companies were =
brought on board, including Industrial Light & Magic, which worked alongsid=
e Weta Digital to create the battle sequences. ILM was responsible for the =
visual effects for many of the film's specialized vehicles and devised a ne=
w way to make CGI explosions.[96] Joe Letteri was the film's visual effects=
 general supervisor.[97] Music and soundtrack Main article: Avatar: Music f=
rom the Motion Picture James Horner =E2=80=93 "Jake Enters His Avatar World=
" 0:32 listen to a clip from the score of the 2009 film Avatar. Problems pl=
aying this file? See media help. Composer James Horner scored the film, his=
 third collaboration with Cameron after Aliens and Titanic.[98] Horner reco=
rded parts of the score with a small chorus singing in the alien language N=
a'vi in March 2008.[99] He also worked with Wanda Bryant, an ethnomusicolog=
ist, to create a music culture for the alien race.[100] The first scoring s=
essions were planned to take place in early 2009.[101] During production, H=
orner promised Cameron that he would not work on any other project except f=
or Avatar and reportedly worked on the score from four in the morning until=
 ten at night throughout the process. He stated in an interview, "Avatar ha=
s been the most difficult film I have worked on and the biggest job I have =
undertaken."[102] Horner composed the score as two different scores merged =
into one. He first created a score that reflected the Na'vi way of sound an=
d then combined it with a separate "traditional" score to drive the film.[7=
2] British singer Leona Lewis was chosen to sing the theme song for the fil=
m, called "I See You". An accompanying music video, directed by Jake Nava, =
premiered December 15, 2009, on MySpace. </div></div></td></tr></table><tab=
le class=3D"text_block block-2" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"=
0" cellspacing=3D"0" role=3D"presentation" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;=
 mso-table-lspace: 0; mso-table-rspace: 0; word-break: break-word;"><tr sty=
le=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><td class=3D"pad" style=3D"box-sizing: borde=
r-box; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-=
top: 2px;"><div style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Tahoma,Verdan=
a,sans-serif;"><div class style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px;=
 font-family: Roboto,Tahoma,Verdana,Segoe,sans-serif; mso-line-height-alt: =
14.399999999999999px; color: #7da496; line-height: 1.2;"><p style=3D"box-si=
zing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0; font-size: 12px; text-al=
ign: center; mso-line-height-alt: 14.399999999999999px;">At times, our affi=
liate partners reach out to the Editors at&nbsp;<strong style=3D"box-sizing=
: border-box;">Smart People Mail</strong>&nbsp;with special opportunities f=
or our readers. The message below is one we think you should take a close, =
serious look at.</p></div></div></td></tr> </table><table class=3D"divider_=
block block-3" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D=
"0" role=3D"presentation" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; mso-table-lspace=
: 0; mso-table-rspace: 0;"><tr style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><td class=
=3D"pad" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left=
: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 5px;"><div class=3D"alignment" alig=
n=3D"center" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><table border=3D"0" cellpadd=
ing=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" role=3D"presentation" width=3D"100%" style=3D"b=
ox-sizing: border-box; mso-table-lspace: 0; mso-table-rspace: 0;"><tr style=
=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><td class=3D"divider_inner" style=3D"box-sizin=
g: border-box; font-size: 1px; line-height: 1px; border-top: 1px solid #000=
;"><span style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;">&#8202;</span></td></tr></table>=
</div></td></tr></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table=
><table class=3D"row row-5" align=3D"center" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" ce=
llpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" role=3D"presentation" style=3D"box-sizing=
: border-box; mso-table-lspace: 0; mso-table-rspace: 0;"><tbody style=3D"bo=
x-sizing: border-box;"><tr style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><td style=3D"b=
ox-sizing: border-box;"><table class=3D"row-content stack" align=3D"center"=
 border=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" role=3D"presentation" sty=
le=3D"box-sizing: border-box; mso-table-lspace: 0; mso-table-rspace: 0; bac=
kground-color: #fff; border-radius: 0; color: #000; width: 600px; margin: 0=
 auto;" width=3D"600" bgcolor=3D"#fff"><tbody style=3D"box-sizing: border-b=
ox;"><tr style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><td class=3D"column column-1" wi=
dth=3D"100%" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; mso-table-lspace: 0; mso-tabl=
e-rspace: 0; font-weight: 400; text-align: left; vertical-align: top; borde=
r-top: 0; border-right: 0; border-bottom: 0; border-left: 0;" align=3D"left=
" valign=3D"top"><table class=3D"html_block block-1" width=3D"100%" border=
=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" role=3D"presentation" style=3D"b=
ox-sizing: border-box; mso-table-lspace: 0; mso-table-rspace: 0;"><tr style=
=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"> <td class=3D"pad" style=3D"box-sizing: border=
-box;"><div style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial,Helvetica N=
eue,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;" align=3D"center"><div style=
=3D"box-sizing: border-box; display: none; width: 0px; max-height: 0px; ove=
rflow: hidden; mso-hide: all; height: 0; font-size: 0; max-height: 0; line-=
height: 0; margin: 0;">Avatar is primarily an action-adventure journey of s=
elf-discovery, in the context of imperialism, and deep ecology.[104] Camero=
n said his inspiration was "every single science fiction book I read as a k=
id" and that he wanted to update the style of Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Ca=
rter series.[11] He acknowledged that Avatar shares themes with the films A=
t Play in the Fields of the Lord, The Emerald Forest, and Princess Mononoke=
, which feature clashes between cultures and civilizations, and with Dances=
 with Wolves, where a battered soldier finds himself drawn to the culture h=
e was initially fighting against.[105][106] He also cited Hayao Miyazaki's =
anime films such as Princess Mononoke as an influence on the ecosystem of P=
andora.[106] In 2012, Cameron filed a 45-page legal declaration that intend=
ed to "describe in great detail the genesis of the ideas, themes, storyline=
s, and images that came to be Avatar."[107] In addition to historical event=
s (such as European colonization of the Americas), his life experiences and=
 several of his unproduced projects, Cameron drew connections between Avata=
r and his previous films. He cited his script and concept art for Xenogenes=
is, partially produced as a short film, as being the basis for many of the =
ideas and visual designs in Avatar. He stated that Avatar's "concepts of a =
world mind, intelligence within nature, the idea of projecting force or con=
sciousness using an avatar, colonization of alien planets, greedy corporate=
 interests backed up by military force, the story of a seemingly weaker gro=
up prevailing over a technologically superior force, and the good scientist=
 were all established and recurrent themes" from his earlier films includin=
g Aliens, The Abyss, Rambo: First Blood Part II, The Terminator and Termina=
tor 2: Judgment Day. He specifically mentioned the "water tentacle" in The =
Abyss as an example of an "avatar" that "takes on the appearance of...an al=
ien life form...in order to bridge the cultural gap and build trust."[108] =
Cameron also cited a number of works by other creators as "reference points=
 and sources of inspiration" for Avatar. These include two of his "favorite=
" films, 2001: A Space Odyssey, where mankind experiences an evolution afte=
r meeting alien life, and Lawrence of Arabia, where "an outsider...encounte=
rs and immerses into a foreign culture and then ultimately joins that group=
 to fight other outsiders." Cameron said he became familiar with the concep=
t of a human operating a "synthetic avatar" inside another world from Georg=
e Henry Smith's short story "In the Imagicon" and Arthur C. Clarke's novel =
The City and the Stars. He said he learned of the term "avatar" by reading =
the cyberpunk novels Neuromancer by William Gibson and Islands in the Net b=
y Bruce Sterling. The idea of a "world mind" originated in the novel Solari=
s by Stanislaw Lem. Cameron mentioned several other films about people inte=
racting with "indigenous cultures" as inspiring him, including Dances with =
Wolves, The Man Who Would Be King, The Mission, The Emerald Forest, Medicin=
e Man, The Jungle Book and FernGully. He also cited as inspiration the John=
 Carter and Tarzan stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs and other adventure stor=
ies by Rudyard Kipling and H. Rider Haggard.[108] In a 2007 interview with =
Time magazine, Cameron was asked about the meaning of the term Avatar, to w=
hich he replied, "It's an incarnation of one of the Hindu gods taking a fle=
sh form. In this film what that means is that the human technology in the f=
uture is capable of injecting a human's intelligence into a remotely locate=
d body, a biological body."[10] Cameron also cited the Japanese cyberpunk m=
anga and anime Ghost in the Shell, in terms of how humans can remotely cont=
rol, and transfer their personalities into, alien bodies.[109][110] For the=
 love story between characters Jake and Neytiri, Cameron applied a star-cro=
ssed love theme, which he said was in the tradition of Romeo and Juliet.[10=
8] He acknowledged its similarity to the pairing of Jack and Rose from his =
film Titanic. An interviewer stated, "Both couples come from radically diff=
erent cultures that are contemptuous of their relationship and are forced t=
o choose sides between the competing communities."[113] Cameron described N=
eytiri as his "Pocahontas," saying that his plotline followed the historica=
l story of a "white outsider [who] falls in love with the chief's daughter,=
 who becomes his guide to the tribe and to their special bond with nature."=
[108] Cameron felt that whether or not the Jake and Neytiri love story woul=
d be perceived as believable partially hinged on the physical attractivenes=
s of Neytiri's alien appearance, which was developed by considering her app=
eal to the all-male crew of artists.[114] Although Cameron felt Jake and Ne=
ytiri do not fall in love right away, their portrayers (Worthington and Sal=
dana) felt the characters did. Cameron said the two actors "had a great che=
mistry" during filming.[113] A gray mountain in the middle of a forest. Pan=
dora's floating "Hallelujah Mountains" were inspired in part by the Chinese=
 Huangshan mountains (pictured).[115] Zhangjiajie National Forest Park For =
the film's floating "Hallelujah Mountains", the designers drew inspiration =
from "many different types of mountains, but mainly the karst limestone for=
mations in China."[116] According to production designer Dylan Cole, the fi=
ctional floating rocks were inspired by Huangshan (also known as Yellow Mou=
ntain), Guilin, Zhangjiajie, among others around the world.[116] Cameron ha=
d noted the influence of the Chinese peaks on the design of the floating mo=
untains.[117] To create the interiors of the human mining colony on Pandora=
, production designers visited the Noble Clyde Boudreaux[118] oil platform =
in the Gulf of Mexico during June 2007. They photographed, measured and fil=
med every aspect of the platform, which was later replicated on-screen with=
 photorealistic CGI during post-production. </div></div></td></tr></table><=
/td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table class=3D"row row-=
6" align=3D"center" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" cellspaci=
ng=3D"0" role=3D"presentation" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; mso-table-l=
space: 0; mso-table-rspace: 0;"><tbody style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><t=
r style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><td style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><=
table class=3D"row-content stack" align=3D"center" border=3D"0" cellpadding=
=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" role=3D"presentation" style=3D"box-sizing: border-=
box; mso-table-lspace: 0; mso-table-rspace: 0; background-color: #fff; bord=
er-radius: 0; color: #000; width: 600px; margin: 0 auto;" width=3D"600" bgc=
olor=3D"#fff"><tbody style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><tr style=3D"box-siz=
ing: border-box;"><td class=3D"column column-1" width=3D"100%" style=3D"box=
-sizing: border-box; mso-table-lspace: 0; mso-table-rspace: 0; font-weight:=
 400; text-align: left; padding-top: 5px; vertical-align: top; border-top: =
0; border-right: 0; border-bottom: 0; border-left: 0;" align=3D"left" valig=
n=3D"top"><table class=3D"html_block block-1" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" c=
ellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" role=3D"presentation" style=3D"box-sizin=
g: border-box; mso-table-lspace: 0; mso-table-rspace: 0;"><tr style=3D"box-=
sizing: border-box;"><td class=3D"pad" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><d=
iv style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial,Helvetica Neue,Helve=
tica,sans-serif; text-align: center;" align=3D"center"><div style=3D"box-si=
zing: border-box; display: none; width: 0px; max-height: 0px; overflow: hid=
den; mso-hide: all; height: 0; font-size: 0; max-height: 0; line-height: 0;=
 margin: 0;">The first photo of the film was released on August 14, 2009,[1=
24] and Empire released exclusive images from the film in its October issue=
.[125] Cameron, producer Jon Landau, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, and Sigourn=
ey Weaver appeared at a panel, moderated by Tom Rothman, at the 2009 San Di=
ego Comic-Con on July 23. Twenty-five minutes of footage was screened[126] =
in Dolby 3D.[127] Weaver and Cameron appeared at additional panels to promo=
te the film, speaking on the 23rd[128] and 24th[129][130] respectively. Jam=
es Cameron announced at the Comic-Con Avatar Panel that August 21 will be '=
Avatar Day'. On this day, the trailer was released in all theatrical format=
s. The official game trailer and toy line of the film were also unveiled on=
 this day.[131] The 129-second trailer was released online on August 20, 20=
09.[132] The new 210-second trailer was premiered in theaters on October 23=
, 2009, then soon after premiered online on Yahoo! on October 29, 2009, to =
positive reviews.[133][134] An extended version in IMAX 3D received overwhe=
lmingly positive reviews.[132] The Hollywood Reporter said that audience ex=
pectations were colored by "the [same] establishment skepticism that preced=
ed Titanic" and suggested the showing reflected the desire for original sto=
rytelling.[135] The teaser has been among the most viewed trailers in the h=
istory of film marketing, reaching the first place of all trailers viewed o=
n Apple.com with 4 million views.[136] On October 30, to celebrate the open=
ing of the first 3-D cinema in Vietnam, Fox allowed Megastar Cinema to scre=
en exclusive 16 minutes of Avatar to a number of press.[137] The three-and-=
a-half-minute trailer of the film premiered live on November 1, 2009, durin=
g a Dallas Cowboys football game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on=
 the Diamond Vision screen, one of the world's largest video displays, and =
to TV audiences viewing the game on Fox. It is said to be the largest live =
motion picture trailer viewing in history.[138] The Coca-Cola Company colla=
borated with Fox to launch a worldwide marketing campaign to promote the fi=
lm. The highlight of the campaign was the website AVTR.com. Specially marke=
d bottles and cans of Coca-Cola Zero, when held in front of a webcam, enabl=
ed users to interact with the website's 3-D features using augmented realit=
y (AR) technology.[139] The film was heavily promoted in an episode of the =
Fox series Bones in the episode "The Gamer In The Grease" (Season 5, Episod=
e 9). Avatar star Joel David Moore has a recurring role on the program, and=
 is seen in the episode anxiously awaiting the release of the film.[140] A =
week prior to the American release, Zoe Saldana promoted the film on Adult =
Swim when she was interviewed by an animated Space Ghost.[141] McDonald's h=
ad a promotion mentioned in television commercials in Europe called "Avatar=
ize yourself", which encouraged people to go to the website set up by Oddca=
st, and use a photograph of themselves to change into a Na'vi.[142] Books A=
vatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandor=
a, a 224-page book in the form of a field guide to the film's fictional set=
ting of the planet of Pandora, was released by Harper Entertainment on Nove=
mber 24, 2009.[143] It is presented as a compilation of data collected by t=
he humans about Pandora and the life on it, written by Maria Wilhelm and Di=
rk Mathison. HarperFestival also released Wilhelm's 48-page James Cameron's=
 Avatar: The Reusable Scrapbook for children.[144] The Art of Avatar was re=
leased on November 30, 2009, by Abrams Books. The book features detailed pr=
oduction artwork from the film, including production sketches, illustration=
s by Lisa Fitzpatrick, and film stills. Producer Jon Landau wrote the forew=
ord, Cameron wrote the epilogue, and director Peter Jackson wrote the prefa=
ce.[145] In October 2010, Abrams Books also released The Making of Avatar, =
a 272-page book that detailed the film's production process and contains ov=
er 500 color photographs and illustrations.[146] In a 2009 interview, Camer=
on said that he planned to write a novel version of Avatar after the film w=
as released.[147] In February 2010, producer Jon Landau stated that Cameron=
 plans a prequel novel for Avatar that will "lead up to telling the story o=
f the movie, but it would go into much more depth about all the stories tha=
t we didn't have time to deal with", saying that "Jim wants to write a nove=
l that is a big, epic story that fills in a lot of things".[148] In August =
2013 it was announced that Cameron hired Steven Gould to pen four standalon=
e novels to expand the Avatar universe.[149] ance Post released a special l=
imited edition stamp based on Avatar, coinciding with the film's worldwide =
release. </div></div></td></tr></table><table class=3D"html_block block-2" =
width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" role=3D"pre=
sentation" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; mso-table-lspace: 0; mso-table-=
rspace: 0;"><tr style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><td class=3D"pad" style=
=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><div style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; font-fam=
ily: Arial,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;" align=
=3D"center"> <div style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"> <div style=3D"box-sizi=
ng: border-box; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 600px;"> <table align=3D"cente=
r" border=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" style=3D"box-sizing: bo=
rder-box; width: 100%;" width=3D"100%"> <tbody style=3D"box-sizing: border-=
box;"> <tr style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"> <td style=3D"box-sizing: bord=
er-box; direction: ltr; font-size: 0px; padding: 20px 0; text-align: center=
;" align=3D"center"> <div class=3D"mj-column-per-100 mj-outlook-group-fix" =
style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0px; text-align: left; directio=
n: ltr; display: inline-block; vertical-align: top; width: 100%;"> <table b=
order=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" style=3D"box-sizing: border=
-box; vertical-align: top;" width=3D"100%" valign=3D"top"> <tbody style=3D"=
box-sizing: border-box;"> <tr style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"> <td align=
=3D"left" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0px; padding: 10px 25=
px; word-break: break-word;"> <div style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; font-fa=
mily: Roboto; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; lin=
e-height: 1.5; text-align: left; color: #000000;">Dear Reader,<br style=3D"=
box-sizing: border-box;"><br style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"> Bill O=E2=
=80=99Reilly is at the forefront of <a href=3D"https://links.e.smartpeoplem=
ail.com/u/click?_t=3Df88b7d4fa6b54c30956d854ef81ba1b6&_m=3Dcfefb31d9e9844e7=
8a07e72d2d4f46bb&_e=3DMHA-pwjucn4MuhE615kWaIvukOwYdWNIW08PHyQ7zf2WVjnls7FqO=
WbEX5-0HQ-cWxcf_xOGtqyQWhWBBDSRpl9reqshe8ciSyAP-aLraMQlaDJyIWItMCa6oeMDNTPN=
KwnJikKwgY0ttbTjYHvCXclv5sjWT9aq3Gltga1WqtXTg9N-Mm5L0BfGL9ZOOvZtIN9kGNZqz8P=
4eq-zhGd_wKsSV42tGwaK5Ex5SQjBPeENQ6WFQoqMluf5vtkJ8zQW" style=3D"box-sizing:=
 border-box; font-weight: bold;">an explosive new story=E2=80=A6 AGAIN</a><=
br style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><br style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;">=
 <b style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><u style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;">=
You won=E2=80=99t see this shocking story anywhere else=E2=80=A6..</u></b><=
br style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><br style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;">=
 His guest today must have made the most outrageous prediction=E2=80=A6 for=
 the next 2 years.<br style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><br style=3D"box-si=
zing: border-box;"> And Bill completely lost it and could have even dismiss=
ed him from the interview=E2=80=A6 <br style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><b=
r style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"> Until he remembered who he was talking=
 to=E2=80=A6<br style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><br style=3D"box-sizing: =
border-box;"> His guest is a researcher, futurist, investment analyst, a Ne=
w York Times bestselling financial author and former portfolio manager.<br =
style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><br style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"> <d=
iv style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; display: none; width: 0px; max-height: =
0px; overflow: hidden; mso-hide: all; height: 0; font-size: 0; max-height: =
0; line-height: 0; margin: 0;">The character has a capacity for emotions bu=
t is primarily driven by logic and curiosity. Unused to emotions and how th=
ey could influence his behavior, he would be at times guarded or unsure how=
 to express himself. His personality has been compared with Spock from Star=
 Trek, but Thomas said he was barely aware of the TV series at the time[5] =
and was influenced by the Adam Link character created by Otto Binder, one o=
f the first fictional robots treated as a sympathetic character rather than=
 only a mechanical tool or a monster.[5] Artist John Buscema designed the c=
haracter by adjusting the appearance of Aarkus. Originally, Thomas wanted t=
he character to be colored chalk-white, befitting his ghostly name. Printin=
g limitations of the time would have rendered him colorless by leaving that=
 portion of the page un-inked rather than using white ink, meaning it would=
 be more vulnerable to smudges and that images and text on the other side o=
f the page would possibly be visible and seem to overlap the character. Tho=
mas and Buscema settled on giving the character a colorful costume and red =
skin. The original Vision, Aarkus, had been depicted with light green or so=
metimes light blue skin in his original comics. Red was chosen for the new =
android character because Thomas believed Marvel readers had gotten used to=
 blue skin indicating a member of the Atlantean race, while green skin coul=
d bring comparisons to the Hulk.[6] The android Vision first appeared in Th=
e Avengers #57 (published in August 1968 but with a cover date indicating O=
ctober). The cover of the issue was an homage to the first page of the firs=
t comic story to feature Aarkus. When Thomas created Ultron, he gave the ro=
bot an origin of having been created by Dr. Hank Pym and then turning on hi=
s creator. Thomas mirrored this by having Ultron create the Vision to be hi=
s son and ally, only to then have the new android join his enemies, the Ave=
ngers. To cement the character was not truly as cold and emotionless as he =
might appear, and that the stories would not treat him as if he were, The A=
vengers #58 included a scene where, after realizing he has been accepted by=
 the Avengers not only as a new teammate but as a person, Vision excuses hi=
mself and silently cries. Vision appeared with Spider-Man in Marvel Team-Up=
 #5 (1972), "A Passion of the Mind", in which they defeat a giant robot sco=
ut from the Kree-Skrull War that was interfering with Vision's brain waves.=
 In The Avengers #75 (1970), Wanda Maximoff (the Scarlet Witch) rejoins the=
 team with her brother Pietro (Quicksilver). Over time, Wanda became a love=
 interest for Vision. Thomas recounted, "I felt that a romance of some sort=
 would help the character development in The Avengers, and the Vision was a=
 prime candidate because he appeared only in that mag... as did Wanda, for =
that matter. So they became a pair, for just such practical considerations.=
 It would also, I felt, add to the development I was doing on the Vision's =
attempting to become 'human.'"[4] Originally, Thomas considered the Vision =
to be an android entirely created by Ultron. Later, Ultron had built the Vi=
sion from the body of the original Human Torch, who had been described in h=
is Golden Age stories as a perfect, synthetic replica of a human being. Tho=
mas only planted a vague clue to this in The Avengers #93 before leaving th=
e series as writer. This aspect of the Vision's origin was finally revealed=
 in The Avengers #134=E2=80=93135 (1975). Writer Steve Englehart explained,=
 "That plot was well known in-house for years, and since Roy [Thomas] and N=
eal [Adams] hadn't had a chance to do it, I did it on my watch with Roy's b=
lessing."[7] After learning that he had once been the original Human Torch =
in another life, Vision felt a stronger sense of identity. Englehart then h=
ad Vision and Scarlet Witch marry in Giant-Size Avengers #4 (June 1975). Ho=
wever, in a story written for the "What If...." anthology but intended to b=
e in continuity,[8] Thomas suggested that the Vision was actually built by =
Ultron from a different android that, like the Human Torch, had been design=
ed and built by Phineas Horton, known as Adam II.[9] Years later, the coupl=
e starred in their first limited series called The Vision and the Scarlet W=
itch #1=E2=80=934 (Nov. 1982 =E2=80=93 Feb. 1983), by writer Bill Mantlo an=
d penciller Rick Leonardi. The mini-series showed Vision and Wanda moving i=
nto a house in Leonia, New Jersey, hoping to strengthen their marriage by e=
njoying a life and experiences outside of the Avengers. This was followed b=
y a second limited series that lasted 12 issues (Oct. 1985 =E2=80=93 Sept. =
1986), written by Steve Englehart and penciled by Richard Howell. Despite t=
heir previous home being burned down by people who consider the marriage of=
 an android and a mutant to be unnatural, Vision and Wanda move back to Leo=
nia and again attempt to live a suburban life outside of their duties as su=
perheroes. The series cemented that the Vision and Simon Williams (Wonder M=
an) now regarded each other as twin brothers, since part of Vision's progra=
mming was based on the brainwave pattern of Simon. Early in the series, the=
 Scarlet Witch is a colony of sorcerers during a deadly, magical ritual. Th=
e Scarlet Witch temporarily taps into this powerful magical energy and is a=
ble to grant herself a wish for a family. She becomes pregnant and nine mon=
ths later gives birth to twin boys, Thomas and William ("Billy"). Englehart=
 later took over as writer for the Avengers spin-off series West Coast Aven=
gers, featuring a new branch of the team that was based in Los Angeles. Hav=
ing grown fond of Vision and Wanda, he added them to the Avengers West team=
. Later on, John Byrne took over as writer/penciller for West Coast Avenger=
s (which would soon be retitled Avengers West Coast). Byrne believed it was=
 a mistake to give an android character emotions and to give him and Wanda =
a family. His "Vision Quest" story in West Coast Avengers #42=E2=80=9345 (M=
arch =E2=80=93 June 1989) had the Vision dismantled, his human brain patter=
ns wiped out, and his artificial skin rendered chalk-white (modern printing=
 techniques and paper meant it was now more feasible to give a character ch=
alk-white skin or costumes). Rather than portray the Vision as a synthetic =
man, Byrne depicted his parts as purely robotic and his skin as a costume-l=
ike shell. Journalist Karen Walker later commented, "This image alone has p=
robably done more to shape how future writers (and readers) perceive the ch=
aracter than anything before or since. Once seen broken down into component=
 parts, it's hard to truly move past that image and think of Vision as a sy=
nthetic man, not a machine."[4] Vision's memories were restored but not his=
 emotions. As such, he could no longer reciprocate Wanda's feelings or even=
 express love for his children, which led to the annulment of their marriag=
e. Byrne then went further, undoing the Vision's origin by revealing he was=
 not the original Torch. The same issue depicted the original Human Torch b=
eing reactivated and meeting the Vision face to face. Following this, Byrne=
 revealed that the children of Vision and Wanda were not real, explaining t=
hat Scarlet Witch had suffered a "hysterical pregnancy" and her temporarily=
 increased power had projected this desire for children into creating imagi=
nary constructs. The children were then wiped from existence. Further traum=
a led to Wanda becoming catatonic soon afterward. Rather than nurse his wif=
e, Vision left Avengers West, concluding he could not help Wanda further an=
d his presence would be more useful as a member of the NYC based team. Byrn=
e also had Vision refuse an offer by Wonder Man to restore human brain patt=
erns to his mind, possibly restoring his capacity for emotions in the proce=
ss. In Avengers Spotlight #40 (1991), Vision realized a human brainwave pat=
tern was necessary for his operation and gained one based on deceased resea=
rch scientist Alex Lipton. This restored some of Vision's for emotion and e=
mpathy. The same story featured Vision gaining a personal holographic proje=
ctor so he could assume the guise of an average person and mingle with huma=
nity more to learn a greater understanding of people. This identity was cal=
led "Victor Shade." Marvel later decided to restore the Vision's original r=
ed-skinned appearance. To do this, an emotional and villainous Vision from =
a parallel timeline was introduced as member of the Gatherers, a new group =
of enemies to the Avengers. This alternate Vision (sometimes called Anti-Vi=
sion) infiltrated the Avengers team by exchanging his mind with the heroic =
Vision.[10] After another battle with the Gatherers, the Anti-Vision escape=
d, still housed in the chalk-white body. The heroic Vision returned to the =
Avengers, now once again with red-colored skin.[11] This occurred in The Av=
engers #360-363, by writer Bob Harras and artists Steve Epting and Tom Palm=
er. In late 1994, writer Bob Harras and penciller Manny Clark produced the =
first Vision limited series, lasting 4 issues.[12] The series featured Visi=
on suffering a mental breakdown, as his original personality (based on the =
brainwaves of Wonder Man) began to emerge and clash with the Adam Lipton em=
otions. After fighting the Anti-Vision again, Vision found mental and emoti=
onal balance again, now with full emotional capacity restored. Later on, he=
 revealed that this also meant he had regained the emotions tied to his mem=
ories from before being dismantled, including his feelings for Wanda. A fou=
r-issue series, Avengers Icons: The Vision, was published in late 2002, wri=
tten by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis. The mini-series featured Vis=
ion meeting people related to Phineas T. Horton, the original Human Torch's=
 creator. Vision considered these people to now be his family. The story ar=
c Avengers Disassembled featured the Vision being destroyed. The story incl=
uded an explanation that he was damaged beyond repair. Soon afterward, the =
original Young Avengers series introduced a new Vision, whose personality w=
as created by a combination of the synthezoid Vision's programming and ment=
al engrams of the hero Iron Lad. It is later revealed that the Young Avenge=
rs members Wiccan and Speed are teenage reincarnations of Wanda and Vision'=
s children Billy and Thomas, indicating they might have been real all along=
. </div> He predicted the dot-com collapse... the rise of digital and medic=
al technology=E2=80=A6<br style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><br style=3D"bo=
x-sizing: border-box;"> The housing crisis and the 10-year bull market that=
 followed=E2=80=A6 <br style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><br style=3D"box-s=
izing: border-box;"> He nailed all of those. <br style=3D"box-sizing: borde=
r-box;"><br style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"> And along the way he=E2=80=
=99s even helped Bill make a lot of money. <br style=3D"box-sizing: border-=
box;"><br style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"> <b style=3D"box-sizing: border=
-box;">Bill has voluntarily made this extraordinary video public so everyon=
e can see it for themselves=E2=80=A6 </b> <br style=3D"box-sizing: border-b=
ox;"><br style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"> Viewer discretion is advised=E2=
=80=A6 </div> </td> </tr> <tr style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"> <td align=
=3D"center" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0px; padding: 10px =
25px; word-break: break-word;"> <table border=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" cells=
pacing=3D"0" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; border-collapse: collapse; bo=
rder-spacing: 0px;"> <tbody style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"> <tr style=3D=
"box-sizing: border-box;"> <td style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; width: 550p=
x;" width=3D"550"> <a href=3D"https://links.e.smartpeoplemail.com/u/click?_=
t=3Df88b7d4fa6b54c30956d854ef81ba1b6&_m=3Dcfefb31d9e9844e78a07e72d2d4f46bb&=
_e=3DMHA-pwjucn4MuhE615kWaIvukOwYdWNIW08PHyQ7zf2WVjnls7FqOWbEX5-0HQ-cWxcf_x=
OGtqyQWhWBBDSRpl9reqshe8ciSyAP-aLraMSZ1V1-C4DL5cnMR4xEmRzS1LhC2KJy08Lor9Scf=
MkdO51btd32O7XSaieF4GvR4fBrWxyhbsHbZBxsVkwqOOwVxIOQaf4mf0KOQry266oCbUEveMY4=
r6nWzEvrzVr1l-ZKCjwbhjBJ3NMwinXkoST0" target=3D"_blank" style=3D"box-sizing=
: border-box;"> <img alt=3D"video fragment" height=3D"auto" src=3D"https://=
smartpeoplemail.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/oxb-10.jpg" style=3D"box-siz=
ing: border-box; border: 0; display: block; outline: none; text-decoration:=
 none; height: auto; width: 100%; font-size: 13px;" width=3D"550"> </a> </t=
d> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> </td> </tr>=
 </tbody> </table> </div> </div></div></td></tr></table><table class=3D"htm=
l_block block-3" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=
=3D"0" role=3D"presentation" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; mso-table-lsp=
ace: 0; mso-table-rspace: 0;"><tr style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><td cla=
ss=3D"pad" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><div style=3D"box-sizing: bord=
er-box; font-family: Arial,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align:=
 center;" align=3D"center"><div style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; display: n=
one; width: 0px; max-height: 0px; overflow: hidden; mso-hide: all; height: =
0; font-size: 0; max-height: 0; line-height: 0; margin: 0;">Initial screeni=
ng Avatar premiered in London on December 10, 2009, and was released theatr=
ically worldwide from December 16 to 18.[156] The film was originally set f=
or release on May 22, 2009, during filming[157] but was pushed back to allo=
w more post-production time (the last shots were delivered in November)[80]=
 and give more time for theaters worldwide to install 3D projectors.[158] C=
ameron stated that the film's aspect ratio would be 1.78:1 for 3D screening=
s and that a 2.39:1 image would be extracted for 2D screenings.[159][160] H=
owever, a 3D 2.39:1 extract was approved for use with constant-image-height=
 screens (i.e., screens that increase in width to display 2.39:1 films).[16=
1] During a 3D preview showing in Germany on December 16, the movie's DRM "=
protection" system malfunctioned, and some copies delivered weren=E2=80=99t=
 watched at all in the theaters. The problems were fixed in time for the pu=
blic premiere.[162] Avatar was released in a total of 3,457 theaters in the=
 US, of which 2,032 theaters showed it in 3D. In total, 90% of all advance =
ticket sales for Avatar were for 3D screenings.[163] Internationally, Avata=
r opened on a total of 14,604 screens in 106 territories, of which 3,671 we=
re showing the film in 3D (producing 56% of the first weekend gross).[164][=
165] The film was simultaneously presented in IMAX 3D format, opening in 17=
8 theaters in the United States on December 18. The international IMAX rele=
ase included 58 theaters beginning on December 16, and 25 more theaters wer=
e to be added in the coming weeks.[166] The IMAX release was the company's =
widest to date, a total of 261 theaters worldwide. The previous IMAX record=
 opening was Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which opened in 161 IM=
AX theaters in the US, and about 70 international.[167] 20th Century Fox Ko=
rea adapted and later released Avatar in 4D version, which included "moving=
 seats, smells of explosives, sprinkling water, laser lights and wind".[20]=
 Post-original release In July 2010, Cameron confirmed that there would be =
an extended theatrical rerelease of the film on August 27, 2010, exclusivel=
y in 3D theaters and IMAX 3D.[168] Avatar: Special Edition includes an addi=
tional nine minutes of footage, all of which is CG,[169] including an exten=
sion of the sex scene[170] and various other scenes that were cut from the =
original theatrical film.[169] This extended re-release resulted in the fil=
m's run time approaching the then-current IMAX platter maximum of 170 minut=
es, thereby leaving less time for the end credits. Cameron stated that the =
nine minutes of added scenes cost more than $1 million a minute to produce =
and finish.[171] During its 12-week re-release, Avatar: Special Edition gro=
ssed an additional $10.74 million in North America and $22.46 million overs=
eas for a worldwide total of $33.2 million.[5] The film was later re-releas=
ed in China in March 2021, allowing it to surpass Avengers: Endgame to beco=
me the highest-grossing film of all time.[24] Avatar was re-released in the=
aters on September 23, 2022, by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures for a l=
imited two week engagement, with the film being remastered in 4K high-dynam=
ic range, with select scenes at a high frame rate of 48-frames-per-second.[=
172] The reissue was prior to the December 2022 premiere of its sequel, Ava=
tar: The Way of Water.[173] Prior to this, Cameron previously teased a re-r=
elease of the film back in 2017 when promoting the Dolby Cinema re-release =
of Titanic, stating that there were plans in the works to remaster the film=
 with Dolby Vision and re-release it in Dolby Cinema. </div></div></td></tr=
></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table class=
=3D"row row-7" align=3D"center" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"=
0" cellspacing=3D"0" role=3D"presentation" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;=
 mso-table-lspace: 0; mso-table-rspace: 0;"><tbody style=3D"box-sizing: bor=
der-box;"><tr style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><td style=3D"box-sizing: bo=
rder-box;"><table class=3D"row-content stack" align=3D"center" border=3D"0"=
 cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" role=3D"presentation" style=3D"box-siz=
ing: border-box; mso-table-lspace: 0; mso-table-rspace: 0; background-color=
: #fff; border-radius: 0; color: #000; width: 600px; margin: 0 auto;" width=
=3D"600" bgcolor=3D"#fff"><tbody style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><tr styl=
e=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><td class=3D"column column-1" width=3D"100%" =
style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; mso-table-lspace: 0; mso-table-rspace: 0; =
font-weight: 400; text-align: left; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-top: 5px; =
vertical-align: top; border-top: 0; border-right: 0; border-bottom: 0; bord=
er-left: 0;" align=3D"left" valign=3D"top"><table class=3D"html_block block=
-1" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0" role=3D=
"presentation" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; mso-table-lspace: 0; mso-ta=
ble-rspace: 0;"><tr style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><td class=3D"pad" sty=
le=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><div style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; font-f=
amily: Arial,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;" alig=
n=3D"center"><div style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; display: none; width: 0p=
x; max-height: 0px; overflow: hidden; mso-hide: all; height: 0; font-size: =
0; max-height: 0; line-height: 0; margin: 0;">Home media 20th Century Fox H=
ome Entertainment released the film on DVD and Blu-ray in the US on April 2=
2, 2010,[175] and in the UK on April 26.[176] The US release was not on a T=
uesday as is the norm, but was done to coincide with Earth Day.[177] The fi=
rst DVD and Blu-ray release does not contain any supplemental features othe=
r than the theatrical film and the disc menu in favor of and to make space =
for optimal picture and sound. The release also preserves the film's native=
 1.78:1 (16:9) format as Cameron felt that was the best format to watch the=
 film.[178] The Blu-ray disc contains DRM (BD+ 5) which some Blu-ray player=
s might not support without a firmware update.[179][180] Avatar set a first=
-day launch record in the U.S. for Blu-ray sales at 1.5 million units sold,=
 breaking the record previously held by The Dark Knight (600,000 units sold=
). First-day DVD and Blu-ray sales combined were over four million units so=
ld.[181] In its first four days of release, sales of Avatar on Blu-ray reac=
hed 2.7 million in the United States and Canada =E2=80=93 overtaking The Da=
rk Knight to become the best ever selling Blu-ray release in the region.[18=
2][183] The release later broke the Blu-ray sales record in the UK the foll=
owing week.[184] In its first three weeks of release, the film sold a total=
 of 19.7 million DVD and Blu-ray discs combined, a new record for sales in =
that period.[185] As of July 18, 2012, DVD sales (not including Blu-ray) to=
taled over 10.5 million units sold with $190,806,055 in revenue.[186] Avata=
r retained its record as the top-selling Blu-ray in the US market until Jan=
uary 2015, when it was surpassed by Disney's Frozen.[187] The Avatar three-=
disc Extended Collector's Edition on DVD and Blu-ray was released on Novemb=
er 16, 2010. Three different versions of the film are present on the discs:=
 the original theatrical cut (162 minutes), the special edition cut (170 mi=
nutes), and a collector's extended cut (178 minutes). The DVD set spreads t=
he film across two discs, while the Blu-ray set presents it on a single dis=
c.[188] The collector's extended cut contains 8 more minutes of footage, th=
us making it 16 minutes longer than the original theatrical cut. Cameron me=
ntioned, "you can sit down, and in a continuous screening of the film, watc=
h it with the Earth opening". He stated the "Earth opening" is an additiona=
l 4+1=E2=81=842 minutes of scenes that were in the film for much of its pro=
duction but were ultimately cut before the film's theatrical release.[189] =
The release also includes an additional 45 minutes of deleted scenes and ot=
her extras.[188] Cameron initially stated that Avatar would be released in =
3D around November 2010, but the studio issued a correction: "3-D is in the=
 conceptual stage and Avatar will not be out on 3D Blu-ray in November."[19=
0] In May 2010, Fox stated that the 3D version would be released some time =
in 2011.[185] It was later revealed that Fox had given Panasonic an exclusi=
ve license for the 3D Blu-ray version and only with the purchase of a Panas=
onic 3DTV. The length of Panasonic's exclusivity period is stated to last u=
ntil February 2012.[191] On October 2010, Cameron stated that the standalon=
e 3D Blu-ray would be the final version of the film's home release and that=
 it was "maybe one, two years out".[192] On Christmas Eve 2010, Avatar had =
its 3D television world premiere on Sky.[193][194][195] On August 13, 2012,=
 Cameron announced on Facebook that Avatar would be released globally on Bl=
u-ray 3D.[196] The Blu-ray 3D version was finally released on October 16, 2=
012.[197] Reception Critical response On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes,=
 82% of 319 reviews are positive, and the average rating is 7.4/10. The sit=
e's consensus reads, "It might be more impressive on a technical level than=
 as a piece of storytelling, but Avatar reaffirms James Cameron's singular =
gift for imaginative, absorbing filmmaking."[198] On Metacritic =E2=80=94 w=
hich assigns a weighted mean score =E2=80=94 the film has a score of 83 out=
 of 100 based on 35 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[199] Audiences=
 polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F =
scale. Every demographic surveyed was reported to give this rating. These p=
olls also indicated that the main draw of the film was its use of 3D.[200] =
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times called the film "extraordinary" and ga=
ve it four stars out of four. "Watching Avatar, I felt sort of the same as =
when I saw Star Wars in 1977," he said, adding that like Star Wars and The =
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the film "employs a new gene=
ration of special effects" and it "is not simply a sensational entertainmen=
t, although it is that. It's a technical breakthrough. It has a flat-out Gr=
een and anti-war message".[201] A. O. Scott of At The Movies also compared =
his viewing of the film to the first time he viewed Star Wars and he said "=
although the script is a little bit ... obvious," it was "part of what made=
 it work".[202][203] Todd McCarthy of Variety praised the film, saying "The=
 King of the World sets his sights on creating another world entirely in Av=
atar, and it's very much a place worth visiting."[204] Kirk Honeycutt of Th=
e Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review. "The screen is alive =
with more action and the soundtrack pops with more robust music than any do=
zen sci-fi shoot-'em-ups you care to mention," he stated.[205] Peter Traver=
s of Rolling Stone awarded Avatar a three-and-a-half out of four star ratin=
g and wrote in his print review "It extends the possibilities of what movie=
s can do. Cameron's talent may just be as big as his dreams."[206] Richard =
Corliss of Time magazine thought that the film was "the most vivid and conv=
incing creation of a fantasy world ever seen in the history of moving pictu=
res."[207] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times thought the film has "pow=
erful" visual accomplishments but "flat dialogue" and "obvious characteriza=
tion".[208] James Berardinelli of ReelViews praised the film and its story,=
 giving it four out of four stars; he wrote "In 3-D, it's immersive =E2=80=
=93 but the traditional film elements =E2=80=93 story, character, editing, =
theme, emotional resonance, etc. =E2=80=93 are presented with sufficient ex=
pertise to make even the 2-D version an engrossing 2+1=E2=81=842-hour exper=
ience."[209] Avatar's underlying social and political themes attracted atte=
ntion. Armond White of the New York Press wrote that Cameron used "villaino=
us American characters" to "misrepresent facets of militarism, capitalism, =
and imperialism".[210][211] Russell D. Moore of The Christian Post conclude=
d that "propaganda exists in the film" and stated "If you can get a theater=
 full of people in Kentucky to stand and applaud the defeat of their countr=
y in war, then you've got some amazing special effects."[212] Adam Cohen of=
 The New York Times was more positive about the film, calling its anti-impe=
rialist message "a 22nd-century version of the American colonists vs. the B=
ritish, India vs. the Raj, or Latin America vs. United Fruit".[213] Ross Do=
uthat of The New York Times opined that the film is "Cameron's long apologi=
a for pantheism [...] Hollywood's religion of choice for a generation now",=
[214] while Saritha Prabhu of The Tennessean called the film a "misportraya=
l of pantheism and Eastern spirituality in general",[215] and Maxim Osipov =
of The Hindustan Times, on the contrary, commended the film's message for i=
ts overall consistency with the teachings of Hinduism in the Bhagavad Gita.=
[216] Annalee Newitz of io9 concluded that Avatar is another film that has =
the recurring "fantasy about race" whereby "some white guy" becomes the "mo=
st awesome" member of a non-white culture.[217] Michael Phillips of the Chi=
cago Tribune called Avatar "the season's ideological Rorschach blot",[218] =
while Miranda Devine of The Sydney Morning Herald thought that "It [was] im=
possible to watch Avatar without being banged over the head with the direct=
or's ideological hammer."[219] Nidesh Lawtoo believed that an essential, ye=
t less visible social theme that contributed to Avatar's success concerns c=
ontemporary fascinations with virtual avatars and "the transition from the =
world of reality to that of virtual reality".[220] Critics and audiences ha=
ve cited similarities with other films, literature or media, describing the=
 perceived connections in ways ranging from simple "borrowing" to outright =
plagiarism. Ty Burr of The Boston Globe called it "the same movie" as Dance=
s with Wolves.[221] Like Dances with Wolves, Avatar has been characterized =
as being a "white savior" movie, in which a "backwards" native people is im=
potent without the leadership of a member of the invading white culture.[22=
2][223] Parallels to the concept and use of an avatar are in Poul Anderson'=
s 1957 novelette "Call Me Joe", in which a paralyzed man uses his mind from=
 orbit to control an artificial body on Jupiter.[224][225] Cinema audiences=
 in Russia have noted that Avatar has elements in common with the 1960s Noo=
n Universe novels by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, which are set in the 22nd=
 century on a forested world called Pandora with a sentient indigenous spec=
ies called the Nave.[226] Various reviews have compared Avatar to the films=
 FernGully: The Last Rainforest,[227][228] Pocahontas[229] and The Last Sam=
urai.[230] NPR's Morning Edition has compared the film to a montage of trop=
es, with one commentator stating that Avatar was made by "mixing a bunch of=
 film scripts in a blender".[231] Gary Westfahl wrote that "the science fic=
tion story that most closely resembles Avatar has to be Ursula Le Guin's no=
vella The Word for World Is Forest (1972), another epic about a benevolent =
race of alien beings who happily inhabit dense forests while living in harm=
ony with nature until they are attacked and slaughtered by invading human s=
oldiers who believe that the only good gook is a dead gook".[225] The scien=
ce fiction writer and editor Gardner Dozois said that along with the Anders=
on and Le Guin stories, the "mash-up" included Alan Dean Foster's 1975 nove=
l, Midworld.[232] Some sources saw similarities to the artwork of Roger Dea=
n, which features fantastic images of dragons and floating rock formations.=
[233][234] In 2013, Dean sued Cameron and Fox, claiming that Pandora was in=
spired by 14 of his images. Dean sought damages of $50m.[235] Dean's case w=
as dismissed in 2014, and The Hollywood Reporter noted that Cameron had won=
 multiple Avatar idea theft cases.[236] Avatar received compliments from fi=
lmmakers, with Steven Spielberg praising it as "the most evocative and amaz=
ing science-fiction movie since Star Wars" and others calling it "audacious=
 and awe inspiring", "master class", and "brilliant". Noted art director-tu=
rned-filmmaker Roger Christian is also a noted fan of the film.[237] On the=
 other hand, Duncan Jones said: "It's not in my top three James Cameron fil=
ms. ... [A]t what point in the film did you have any doubt what was going t=
o happen next?".[238] For French filmmaker Luc Besson, Avatar opened the do=
ors for him to now create an adaptation of the graphic novel series Val=C3=
=A9rian and Laureline that technologically supports the scope of its source=
 material, with Besson even throwing his original script in the trash and r=
edoing it after seeing the film.[239] TIME ranked Avatar number 3 in their =
list of "The 10 Greatest Movies of the Millennium (Thus Far)"[240] also ear=
ning it a spot on the magazine's All-Time 100 list,[241] and IGN listed Ava=
tar as number 22 on their list of the top 25 Sci-Fi movies of all time. </d=
iv></div></td></tr> </table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></t=
able><table class=3D"row row-8" align=3D"center" width=3D"100%" border=3D"0=
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ackground-color: #fff; border-radius: 0; color: #000; width: 600px; margin:=
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-box;"><tr style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><td class=3D"column column-1" =
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ble-rspace: 0; font-weight: 400; text-align: left; padding-bottom: 5px; pad=
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g=3D"0" role=3D"presentation" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; mso-table-ls=
pace: 0; mso-table-rspace: 0;"><tr style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><td cl=
ass=3D"pad" style=3D"box-sizing: border-box;"><div style=3D"box-sizing: bor=
der-box; font-family: Arial,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align=
: center;" align=3D"center"><div style=3D"box-sizing: border-box; display: =
none; width: 0px; max-height: 0px; overflow: hidden; mso-hide: all; height:=
 0; font-size: 0; max-height: 0; line-height: 0; margin: 0;"> After the fil=
m's release and unusually strong box office performance over its first two =
weeks, it was debated as the one film capable of surpassing Titanic's world=
wide gross, and its continued strength perplexed box office analysts.[294] =
Other films in recent years had been cited as contenders for surpassing Tit=
anic, such as 2008's The Dark Knight,[295] but Avatar was considered the fi=
rst film with a genuine chance to do so, and its numbers being aided by hig=
her ticket prices for 3D screenings[294] did not fully explain its success =
to box office analysts. "Most films are considered to be healthy if they ma=
nage anything less than a 50% drop from their first weekend to their second=
. Dipping just 11% from the first to the third is unheard of," said Paul De=
rgarabedian, president of box-office analysis for Hollywood.com. "This is j=
ust unprecedented. I had to do a double take. I thought it was a miscalcula=
tion."[296] Analysts predicted second place for the film's worldwide gross,=
 but most were uncertain about it surpassing Titanic because "Today's films=
 flame out much faster than they did when Titanic was released."[296] Brand=
on Gray, president of Box Office Mojo, believed in the film's chances of be=
coming the highest-grossing film of all time, though he also believed it wa=
s too early to surmise because it had only played during the holidays. He s=
aid, "While Avatar may beat Titanic's record, it will be tough, and the fil=
m is unlikely to surpass Titanic in attendance. Ticket prices were about $3=
 cheaper in the late 1990s."[296] Cameron said he did not think it was real=
istic to "try to topple Titanic off its perch" because it "just struck some=
 kind of chord" and there had been other good films in recent years.[297] H=
e changed his prediction by mid-January. "It's gonna happen. It's just a ma=
tter of time," he said.[298] You've got to compete head on with these other=
 epic works of fantasy and fiction, the Tolkiens and the Star Wars and the =
Star Treks. People want a persistent alternate reality to invest themselves=
 in and they want the detail that makes it rich and worth their time. They =
want to live somewhere else. Like Pandora. James Cameron on the success of =
Avatar[299] Although analysts have been unable to agree that Avatar's succe=
ss is attributable to one primary factor, several explanations have been ad=
vanced. First, January is historically "the dumping ground for the year's w=
eakest films", and this also applied to 2010.[300] Cameron himself said he =
decided to open the film in December so that it would have less competition=
 from then to January.[287] Titanic capitalized on the same January predict=
ability, and earned most of its gross in 1998.[300] Additionally, Avatar es=
tablished itself as a "must-see" event. Gray said, "At this point, people w=
ho are going to see Avatar are going to see Avatar and would even if the sl=
ate was strong."[300] Marketing the film as a "novelty factor" also helped.=
 Fox positioned the film as a cinematic event that should be seen in the th=
eaters. "It's really hard to sell the idea that you can have the same exper=
ience at home," stated David Mumpower, an analyst at BoxOfficeProphets.com.=
[300] The "Oscar buzz" surrounding the film and international viewings help=
ed. "Two-thirds of Titanic's haul was earned overseas, and Avatar [tracked]=
 similarly ...Avatar opened in 106 markets globally and was No. 1 in all of=
 them", and the markets "such as Russia, where Titanic saw modest receipts =
in 1997 and 1998, are white-hot today" with "more screens and moviegoers" t=
han before.[300] According to Variety, films in 3D accumulated $1.3 billion=
 in 2009, "a threefold increase over 2008 and more than 10% of the total 20=
09 box-office gross". The increased ticket price =E2=80=93 an average of $2=
 to $3 per ticket in most markets =E2=80=93 helped the film.[300] Likewise,=
 Entertainment Weekly attributed the film's success to 3D glasses but also =
to its "astronomic word-of-mouth". Not only do some theaters charge up to $=
18.50 for IMAX tickets, but "the buzz" created by the new technology was th=
e possible cause for sold-out screenings.[301] Gray said Avatar having no b=
asis in previously established material makes its performance remarkable an=
d even more impressive. "The movie might be derivative of many movies in it=
s story and themes," he said, "but it had no direct antecedent like the oth=
er top-grossing films: Titanic (historical events), the Star Wars movies (a=
n established film franchise), or The Lord of the Rings (literature). It wa=
s a tougher sell ..."[300] The Hollywood Reporter estimated that after a co=
mbined production and promotion cost of between $387=E2=80=93437 million, t=
he film turned a net profit of $1.2 billion. </div></div></td></tr></table>=
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