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James Cameron refused to trim 'Avatar' set piece, told studio execs he made 'Titanic' (VIDEO)

Malay Mail
Malay Mail

KUALA LUMPUR, September 20 Director James Cameron revealed that he refused to shorten his 2009 hit film Avatar following notes from studio executives.

In an interview with The New York Times, he said that the 20th Century Fox executives had requested to trim one of the film's key sequences involving flying scenes.

Cameron instead responded by telling them that his 1997 Titanic paid for a large portion of the studio lot from earnings of the movie which entitled him to have the final word.

"The studio felt that the film should be shorter and that there was too much flying around on the ikran what the humans call the banshees.

"Well, it turns out that’s what the audience loved the most, in terms of our exit polling and data gathering.

And that’s a place where I just drew a line in the sand and said, ‘You know what? I made Titanic. This building that we’re meeting in right now, this new half-billion dollar complex on your lot? Titanic paid for that, so I get to do this," Cameron said.

He said that the studio later thanked him for standing his ground.

"I feel that my job is to protect their investment, often against their own judgment.

But as long as I protect their investment, all is forgiven," he said.

The 68-year-old also said that he was satisfied with the creative decisions he made despite many clashes with studio execs at that time and added that he had to fight for every frame to stay intact during the editing process.

Avatar earned over US$2 billion (RM9 billion) worldwide and remains the highest grossing film of all time at worldwide box office.

Avatar is returning to local cinemas for a limited time starting this September 22 just ahead of its sequel Avatar: The Way of Water coming out this December 16.