The latest film in the Avatar series, Avatar: Fire and Ash, will be released on December 19. To promote the new installment, director James Cameron visited Japan for the first time in three years and appeared at the Japan Premiere held in Tokyo on the 10th. During the event, actor Ryubi Miyase, a self-professed fan of Cameron’s work, took the stage, followed by a surprise appearance from director Takashi Yamazaki, who rushed over directly from a film set.

Yamazaki revealed that he had been in the middle of shooting a certain monster movie. He recalled telling his staff that if they wrapped filming by 5 p.m., he could meet Cameron. Hearing that, his team responded that if it was for Cameron, they had no choice but to speed up, and worked together to finish on time.

Asked about Cameron’s 3D and VFX work, Yamazaki shared his honest astonishment. He said that part of him is deeply moved by the story while another part is overwhelmed by the tremendous level of technical precision and the labor behind it. Regarding high frame rate technology, he described how water sprays seem to remain suspended midair while retaining clarity, and how the sway of trees appears before the viewer with lifelike contours. He praised Cameron’s approach, noting that the technology is never for its own sake but is used to create images that speak directly to emotion.

Yamazaki also highly valued the overwhelming sense of immersion in post-Avatar 3D filmmaking. He explained that the goal is no longer to make objects pop out at the audience. Instead, there is a world beyond the screen and viewers feel as though they are traveling through space and gazing upon the landscapes of Pandora themselves.

Cameron responded that he was deeply moved to receive such recognition from a fellow filmmaker and expressed strong agreement with the belief that VFX should never be an end in itself but should function as an integral part of storytelling.

The conversation also touched on Yamazaki’s acclaimed film Godzilla Minus One (2023), with Cameron playfully asking the audience about the correct pronunciation of “Godzilla” while sharing how much he is looking forward to the next installment. Jokingly, he told Yamazaki that if production ever falls behind, he could help out as a second-unit director. Yamazaki laughed that such a scenario might result in better scenes that would leave him without a role. Their warm and humorous exchange drew loud laughter and applause from the audience.

During the event, Cameron also took questions from attendees. When a female university student asked for life advice, he spoke about the importance of hope and cooperation in challenging times. He emphasized that while working to support oneself is necessary, everyone should also find their own way to give back and help make the world better. He shared that the Sully family in Avatar lives by two mottos: never give up, and live together with your companions. He encouraged the audience not to shoulder everything alone but to work with family, friends and colleagues as a team.

Ahead of the film’s release, Cameron delivered a powerful message. He hopes that people in Japan and around the world will “feel” the film and consider how it connects to their own lives and relationships. If the movie succeeds, he said, it will be proof that stories can transcend differences in language, religion and nationality, and remind us that hope, fear, dreams, love and the desire to protect one’s family are universal. Through this film, he wants viewers to remember what it means to be human.

Source : ORICON NEWS