Behind the Scenes of Pandora: New “Avatar” Documentary

A new documentary titled "Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films" is scheduled to premiere exclusively on Disney+ on November 7th. Known for his meticulous methods, Director James Cameron invites viewers to explore the step-by-step process employed in the creation of the ground-breaking "Avatar" films.

This fascinating two-part series delves into the creative process behind the upcoming 2022 release, "Avatar: The Way of Water," and includes a preview of "Avatar: Fire and Ash." Viewers are given unprecedented access to unheard stories, behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with the iconic cast and filmmakers, including Cameron himself, the late producer Jon Landau, and stars such as Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña and Kate Winslet.

Set on the alien moon of Pandora, the original "Avatar" focused on the lives of Jake Sully (Worthington) and Neytiri (Saldaña). Both the 2009 film and its impending sequel, "The Way of Water," earned more than $2 billion each, establishing them as two of the highest-grossing films of all time. Notably, Cameron is the only filmmaker to have three films gross more than $2 billion, with "Titanic" also on the list.

Cameron's revolutionary use of motion capture technology in the "Avatar" series is also explored in the documentary, showing how actors' physical performances are translated into the blue, humanoid Na'vi characters. Particularly highlighted is the application of this process to underwater scenes in "The Way of Water," which required the cast to learn free diving in a state-of-the-art 680,000-gallon water tank.

Directed and produced by Thomas C. Grane with executive producers Cameron and Rae Sanchini, "Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films" was born out of Saldaña’s proposal to Cameron to explain the intricacies of performance capture acting. "Avatar: Fire and Ash" is slated for theatrical release on December 19th, just in time for the holiday season, with two more sequels, "Avatar 4" and "Avatar 5," planned for release during the holiday seasons of 2029 and 2031.