The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">prop door</a> from the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-cameron">James Cameron</a> blockbuster film “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/titanic">Titanic</a>” just sold at auction for more than $700,000.
Ever since the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">movie</a> was released in 1997, viewers have argued over whether there was enough room for both Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet) to fit onto the door, using it as a makeshift raft until they could be rescued from the frigid sea. Many movie fans claim that the door may not have been buoyant enough to support two adults, even if there was sufficient physical space.
In the film, Rose survived, and Jack died from hypothermia.
The prop piece of balsa wood, which the auction listing says came from part of the door frame above the ship’s first-class lounge entrance, was one of several movie props sold at the Heritage Auctions Treasures from Planet Hollywood event, per <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/mar/26/titanic-floating-door-prop-sells-at-auction">The Guardian</a>. 
Other significant items included Winslet&#8217;s dress in “Titanic,” which fetched $125,000, and Indiana Jones’s bullwhip from “The Temple of Doom,” which went for more than half a million. The outlet also noted that Jack Nicholson’s axe from The Shining sold for $125,000.
Cameron and other “Titanic” stars have discussed the door controversy in the past, with the Canadian director admitting that the character of Jack was doomed to die because the story demanded it.
“We have since done a thorough forensic analysis with a hypothermia expert who reproduced the raft from the movie … We took two stunt people who were the same body mass of Kate and Leo and we put sensors all over them and inside them and we put them in ice water and we tested to see whether they could have survived through a variety of methods and the answer was: there was no way they both could have survived. Only one could survive,” Cameron told The Toronto Sun in 2022, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kate-winslet-james-cameron-share-opinions-on-infamous-titanic-door-debate">reported</a>.
“[Jack] needed to die,” he added. “It’s like Romeo and Juliet. It’s a movie about love and sacrifice and mortality. The love is measured by the sacrifice.”
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Winslet also shared her opinions in 2022, the 25th anniversary of the film’s release. 
“I have to be honest: I actually don’t believe that we would have survived if we had both gotten on that door,” the actress said. “I think he would have fit, but it would have tipped and it would not have been a sustainable idea.”
“So, you heard it here for the first time,” Winslet added. “Yes, he could have fit on that door, but it would not have stayed afloat. It wouldn’t.”

Titanic door

Controversial ‘Titanic’ Prop Door Sells For $700K At Auction

Controversial 'Titanic' Prop Door Sells For $700K At Auction

Entertainment

Hollywood

James Cameron

Movies

Titanic

U.S.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-cameron">James Cameron</a> recently revealed some secrets from making his epic historical drama “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">Titanic</a>,” including the reason he intentionally cast short extras.
The Canadian-born <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">director</a> explained his thought process during an <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-12-05/titanic-4k-james-cameron-25th-anniversary-adele-the-abyss">interview</a> with the Los Angeles Times for the film’s 4K remastering home video release.
“The scale of everything was beyond anything we could imagine in terms of our prior experience. At the time we thought, wow, there’s no way this movie could ever make its money back. It’s just impossible. Well, guess what?” Cameron told the outlet.
“Titanic” <a href="https://screenrant.com/titanic-movie-box-office-profit-explained/#:~:text=With%20a%20whopping%20budget%20of,million%20from%20its%20re%2Dreleases.">cost</a> a whopping $210 million to produce ($337 million adjusted for inflation), making it the most expensive film ever made at the time of its release in 1997. This causes a lot of concern in the industry, with many insiders calling the filmmaker crazy for spending so much. But even with the massive budget, Cameron said they did cut costs where they could. 
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“We only cast short extras so it made our set look bigger,” Cameron explained. “Anybody above five foot eight, we didn’t cast them. It’s like we got an extra million dollars of value out of casting.”
The “Titanic” gamble did pay off in a big way. Over its lifetime, the movie made $2.2 billion, making it the highest-earning film of all time until Cameron’s “Avatar” was released in 2009.
The director said he stands by putting in the funds to make the movie, which is what made it so successful. 
“If the studio had had their way, they would have cut the entire ship sinking,” Cameron told the LA Times. “The smartest thing we did was do the sinking last. It wasn’t because of strategy — it was simply because you sink the set last because otherwise it doesn’t look so good the next morning when you bring it back up.”
Cameron had previously weighed in on the infamous door controversy. Fans have been speculating for decades whether there was enough room on the floating door to save both Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet). He assured movie fans that while there may have been enough physical room, the door would not have stayed afloat with both adults on it. 
“We have done a scientific study to put this whole thing to rest and drive a stake through its heart once and for all,” Cameron <a href="https://torontosun.com/entertainment/movies/james-cameron-plans-to-prove-that-jack-couldnt-have-lived-in-titanic">told</a> The Toronto Sun in 2022.
“We have since done a thorough forensic analysis with a hypothermia expert who reproduced the raft from the movie,” he continued. “We took two stunt people who were the same body mass of Kate and Leo and we put sensors all over them and inside them and we put them in ice water. We tested to see whether they could have survived through a variety of methods and the answer was, there was no way they both could have survived. Only one could survive.”

James Cameron Said He Intentionally Cast ‘Short Extras’ On ‘Titanic’ For One Reason

James Cameron Said He Intentionally Cast 'Short Extras' On 'Titanic' For One Reason

Director James Cameron said in a <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/news/james-cameron-ai-nuclear-war-cant-write-good-scripts-1235673940/?cx_testId=48&amp;cx_testVariant=cx_1&amp;cx_artPos=0#cxrecs_s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent interview</a> that certain aspects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) concern him far more than others — and pointed out the fact that he had warned everyone about the threat in his 1984 film &#8220;The Terminator.&#8221;
While both the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) cite concerns about the rise of AI in their reasons for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/egregious-and-disgusting-screen-actors-guild-pres-unloads-on-latest-offer-from-producers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">current strike</a> — the first such joint effort since the 1960s — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-not-in-talks-james-cameron-shreds-offensive-rumors-that-hed-direct-titan-disaster-movie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cameron</a> said that he wasn&#8217;t sure that writers had as much to worry about as some might think.
&#8220;I just don’t personally believe that a disembodied mind that’s just regurgitating what other embodied minds have said — about the life that they’ve had, about love, about lying, about fear, about mortality — and just put it all together into a word salad and then regurgitate it,&#8221; Cameron said, arguing that a bot could not truly tap into the human emotion necessary to write a compelling story.
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&#8220;I don’t believe that’s ever going to have something that’s going to move an audience. You have to be human to write that. I don’t know anyone that’s even thinking about having AI write a screenplay,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Let’s wait 20 years, and if an AI wins an Oscar for best screenplay, I think we’ve got to take them seriously.&#8221;
For Cameron, the greatest concern was the possibility that the race to build better AI would seep into other aspects of society — and he worried that the technology would someday be weaponized — if that wasn&#8217;t already in the process of happening.
&#8220;You got to follow the money. Who’s building these things? They’re either building it to dominate marketing shares, so you’re teaching it greed, or you’re building it for defensive purposes, so you’re teaching it paranoia. I think the weaponization of AI is the biggest danger,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;I think that we will get into the equivalent of a nuclear arms race with AI, and if we don’t build it, the other guys are for sure going to build it, and so then it’ll escalate,&#8221; the &#8220;True Lies&#8221; director added. &#8220;You could imagine an AI in a combat theatre, the whole thing just being fought by the computers at a speed humans can no longer intercede, and you have no ability to de-escalate. I warned you guys in 1984! And you didn’t listen.&#8221;
&#8220;Terminator&#8221; star Arnold Schwarzenegger had previously suggested Cameron was ahead of his time when weighing the risks of AI in the futuristic film franchise.
&#8220;Today, everyone is frightened of it, of where this is gonna go. And in this movie, in &#8216;Terminator,&#8217; we talk about the machines becoming self-aware and they take over,&#8221; Schwarzenegger <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/news/arnold-schwarzenegger-ai-the-terminator-reality-1235659407/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;Now over the course of decades, it has become a reality. So it’s not any more fantasy or kind of futuristic. It is here today. And so this is the extraordinary writing of Jim Cameron.&#8221;

‘I Warned You Guys In 1984!’: Director James Cameron Unleashes On The Rise Of AI In Film

Director James Cameron Unleashes On The Rise Of AI In Film

Artificial Intelligence

Celebrities

Director James Cameron took to Twitter on Saturday to dispel the &#8220;offensive rumors&#8221; that he might be looking to direct a disaster movie based on the ill-fated mission of OceanGate&#8217;s Titan submersible.
Cameron noted that he didn&#8217;t normally find it necessary to address such rumors publicly, but that he felt this one was egregious enough to require immediate attention.
&#8220;I don’t respond to offensive rumors in the media usually, but I need to now. I’m NOT in talks about an OceanGate film, nor will I ever be,&#8221; he tweeted.
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I don’t respond to offensive rumors in the media usually, but I need to now. I’m NOT in talks about an OceanGate film, nor will I ever be.
&mdash; James Cameron (@JimCameron) <a href="https://twitter.com/JimCameron/status/1680192385051947009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Cameron, 68, who directed the Oscar-winning drama &#8220;Titanic,&#8221; has visited the wreckage that the doomed crew members of the Titan were traveling to see on a number of occasions — and has said he believed there were a number of comparisons to be made between the ill-fated ocean-liner and the OceanGate submersible.
&#8220;A number of the top players in the deep submergence engineering community even wrote letters to the company, saying that what they were doing was too experimental to carry passengers and that it needed to be certified,&#8221; Cameron said during a recent appearance o ABC News. &#8220;I’m struck by the similarity of the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about ice ahead of his ship, and yet he steamed at full speed into an ice field on a moonless night and many people died as a result. For us, it’s a very similar tragedy where warnings went unheeded.&#8221;
A number of other experts have weighed in on what most believe was likely a preventable tragedy, saying that OceanGate chief Stockton Rush — who was piloting the vessel when it imploded en route to the wreckage of the Titanic — ignored numerous <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/red-flags-surrounded-the-missing-titanic-sub-years-before-disappearance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">red flags</a>.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/like-a-horror-movie-underwater-expert-says-titan-sub-passengers-probably-knew-what-was-happening" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Underwater expert</a> and engineer Jose Luis Martin said he believed the passengers aboard the doomed submersible likely had just enough time to realize what was happening before the craft imploded.
&#8220;The Titan changes position and falls like an arrow vertically because the 400 kilos (880 pounds) of passengers that were at the porthole unbalance the submersible. Everyone rushes and crowds on top of each other. Imagine the horror, the fear, and the agony,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It had to be like a horror movie. In that period of time, they are realizing everything, and what’s more, in complete darkness. It’s difficult to get an idea of what they experienced in those moments … After those 48 seconds, or one minute, the implosion and instantaneous sudden death occurs.&#8221;

‘I’m NOT In Talks’: James Cameron Shreds ‘Offensive Rumors’ That He’d Direct Titan Disaster Movie

'I'm NOT In Talks': James Cameron Shreds 'Offensive Rumors' That He'd Direct Titan Disaster Movie

Disasters

Submersible

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-cameron" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Cameron</a>, the Oscar-winning director of “Titanic,” said on Thursday that the OceanGates&#8217; Titan submersible that imploded underwater did so because it was not constructed out of the proper materials.
Cameron, who is considered an expert at diving and submersibles, made the remarks during interviews with ABC News and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/22/science/james-cameron-titanic-submersible.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a> after officials announced that they had located the debris of the vessel on the ocean floor and the five passengers on board had all died.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been down there many times. I know the [Titanic] wreck site very well,&#8221; Cameron said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve made 33 dives, and I actually calculated that I spent more time on the ship than the captain did back in the day.&#8221;
&#8220;As a submersible designer myself, I designed and built a sub to go to the deepest place in the ocean – three times deeper than Titanic,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So, I understand the engineering problems associated with building this type of vehicle and all the safety protocols that you have to go through.&#8221;
Cameron said that there have never been any fatalities in this type of underwater exploration in the past and that the Titan imploded because it was made out of carbon fiber, which is stronger and lighter than steel or aluminum but has &#8220;no strength in compression.&#8221;
Cameron said that the implosion, when an object collapses inward, would have been “an extremely violent event — like 10 cases of dynamite going off.”
Cameron said that deep submergence is a &#8220;mature art&#8221; and that all submersibles &#8220;except this one&#8221; undergo certification protocols to make sure the vessels are safe for passengers.
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&#8220;This is a mature art, and many people in the community were very concerned about this sub. And a number of the top players in the deep submergence engineering community even wrote letters to the company, saying that what they were doing was too experimental to carry passengers, and that it needed to be certified,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So, I&#8217;m struck by the similarity of the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about ice ahead of his ship, and yet he steamed at full speed into an ice field on a moonless night and many people died as a result.&#8221;
WATCH:
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‘Titanic’ director James Cameron on the ‘catastrophic implosion’ of Titan submersible: “I’m struck by the similarity of the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about ice ahead of his ship and yet he steamed at full speed into an ice field.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/vO8JkCXS5f">pic.twitter.com/vO8JkCXS5f</a>
&mdash; ABC News (@ABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1671965549381689533?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
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‘Titanic’ Director And Diving Expert James Cameron Explains Why The Titan Sub Imploded Underwater

Atlantic Ocean

World

The submersible that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/red-flags-surrounded-the-missing-titanic-sub-years-before-disappearance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">went missing</a> on its voyage to the Titanic wreckage has an eerie connection to a famed couple who lost their lives on the “unsinkable” ship. 
Wendy Rush, the wife of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush — the man piloting the missing submersible — is the great-great-granddaughter of Titanic passengers Isidor and Ida Straus, according to archival records reviewed by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/21/us/wendy-stockton-rush-titanic-missing-submersible.html?smid=url-share" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>. The Strauses were some of the wealthiest passengers aboard the Titanic when it sank in the icy waters of the North Atlantic in 1912, and their love story was even featured for a brief moment in James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster film. 
Wendy Rush, born Wendy Weil, is descended from one of Isidor and Ida&#8217;s seven children, Minnie. Minnie’s grandson, Dr. Richard Weil III, is Rush’s father, according to Joan Adler, the executive director of the Straus Historical Society, the Times reported.
Isidor Straus was an American Jewish businessman who co-owned Macy’s department store with his brother and briefly served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Survivors of the Titanic sinking said they saw Isidor refuse to enter a lifeboat, making sure women and children took priority over him. Ida is said to have stayed by her husband’s side, refusing to leave him as the ship sank. The couple was reportedly last seen standing arm in arm as the Titanic went under the ocean’s surface. 
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In the “Titanic” film, a fictionalized version of Isidor and Ida&#8217;s story shows an older couple holding each other in bed as water pours into the ship and the orchestra plays “Nearer My God To Thee.” While the Strauses are not named in the film, the couple is mentioned in the credits, <a href="https://www.insider.com/meet-isidor-and-ida-straus-the-old-couple-in-titanic-2023-4#in-a-deleted-scene-the-woman-tells-her-husband-that-she-wont-get-on-a-lifeboat-without-him-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Insider. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Titanic - Nearer My God To Thee" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_RcVzevWX4U?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
According to Coast Guard estimates, the OceanGate submersible will run out of oxygen Thursday morning as an international search continues for the vessel that went missing on June 19. 
A Canadian airplane picked up the “underwater noises” on Tuesday, resulting in the search team focusing their operation on the area where the sounds came from, according to U.S. Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick. There are five “surface assets” and two remotely operated vehicles searching for the submersible, the Titan. Five more assets are expected to join the search, Frederick said, according to the Times. Authorities are also using airplanes and sonar buoys to look for the missing sub.

Isidor and Ida Straus

Wife Of Missing Sub’s Pilot Is Great-Great-Granddaughter Of Famous Couple Who Perished On The Titanic

Wife Of Missing Sub's Pilot Is Great-Great-Granddaughter Of Famous Couple Who Perished On The Titanic

Rescue

Director James Cameron&#8217;s &#8220;Avatar: The Way of Water&#8221; has surpassed his 1997 monster hit &#8220;Titanic&#8221; to become the the third-highest-grossing film in international box office history.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-cameron">Cameron&#8217;s</a> highly anticipated &#8220;Avatar&#8221; sequel has brought in $1.5 billion overseas and is on its way to catching up to his original 2009 movie, which holds the top international title after earning $2.1 billion overseas, <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/box-office/avatar-2-passes-titanic-international-box-office-milestone-1235513277/">Variety</a> reported.
Marvel&#8217;s huge hit &#8220;Avengers: Endgame&#8221; is No. 2 all time, having brought in $1.9 billion in ticket sales overseas.
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‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Passes ‘Titanic’ Overseas, Becoming No. 3 Biggest International Release in History <a href="https://t.co/kLz8JKjihR">https://t.co/kLz8JKjihR</a>
&mdash; Variety (@Variety) <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1622297059507470336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Domestically, &#8220;Avatar: The Way of the Water&#8221; has earned a total of $636 million following its release 8 weeks ago.
Outside of the &#8220;Avatar&#8221; sequel making history at the international box office, on a global scale Cameron&#8217;s latest film ranks as the fourth-highest grossing movie in history following &#8220;Avatar&#8221; ($2.92 billion); &#8220;Avengers: Endgame&#8221; ($2.7 billion); and &#8220;Titanic&#8221; ($2.19 billion).
The &#8220;Titanic&#8221; director previously spoke about the fact that his film would have to earn $2 billion to &#8220;break even,&#8221; as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-avatar-flick-tops-1-billion-in-just-14-days-faster-than-any-other-film-this-year">reported</a>. However, despite Cameron&#8217;s assertion, <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/avatar-the-way-of-water-900-million-worldwide-1235472877/#:~:text=Cameron%20estimated%20the%20movie%20needs,probably%20closer%20to%20%241.5%20billion.">Variety</a> reports that &#8220;analysts believe the threshold to profitability is probably closer to $1.5 billion.&#8221;
During a recent appearance on HBO Max&#8217;s &#8220;Who&#8217;s Talking to Chris Wallace?&#8221; Cameron talked about the film&#8217;s success at the box office, <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/james-cameron-says-avatar-2-190229417.html">Yahoo.com</a> noted.
&#8220;It looks like with the momentum that the film has now that we&#8217;ll easily pass our break-even in the next few days, so it looks like I can&#8217;t wiggle out of this and I&#8217;m gonna have to do these other sequels,&#8221; Cameron shared. &#8220;I know what I&#8217;m going to be doing the next six or seven years.&#8221;
&#8220;The point is we&#8217;re going to be okay,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I&#8217;m sure that we&#8217;ll have a discussion soon with with the top folks at Disney about the game plan going forward for &#8216;Avatar 3,&#8217; which is already in the can — we&#8217;ve already captured and photographed the whole film, so we&#8217;re in extended post-production to do all that CGI magic.&#8221;
Fans can expect to see the third installment in the franchise hit theaters in December 2024, <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/avatar-the-way-of-water-billion-dollar-box-office-1235473320/">Variety</a> noted.

Avatar-2

‘Avatar’ Sequel Sets New Record After Passing ‘Titanic’ At Box Office

Superstar Zoe Saldana made box office history after multiple films she was a part of each grossed more than $2 billion after the &#8220;Avatar&#8221; sequel recently crossed that benchmark globally.
The 44-year-old actress became the first actor ever to appear in four films that have crossed the $2 billion mark after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-cameron">James Cameron&#8217;s</a> &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/avatar-sequel-soars-past-top-gun-maverick-globally-to-become-top-grossing-film-of-2022">Avatar: The Way of Water</a>&#8221; did so worldwide at the box office, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/24/entertainment/zoe-saldana-avatar-box-office/index.html">CNN</a> reported.
Saldana proved to be the most bankable star in Hollywood. Besides &#8220;Avatar&#8217;s&#8221; success, the other three films she was part of include the &#8220;Avatar&#8221; original in 2009 and two huge box office hits for Marvel: “Avengers: Infinity War&#8221; in 2018 and in the following year, the final film in the &#8220;Avengers&#8221; franchise, &#8220;Avengers: Endgame&#8221; in 2019.
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Zoey Saldana is now the first actor to appear in 4 movies that grossed over $2 billion<a href="https://t.co/8hFFW3X8NY">https://t.co/8hFFW3X8NY</a>
&mdash; Goandbewild (@goandbewild) <a href="https://twitter.com/goandbewild/status/1617343033430937603?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Saldana, who plays Neytiri in the &#8220;Avatar&#8221; films, recently spoke to <a href="https://www.essence.com/celebrity/zoe-saldana-first-actor-4-films-2-billion/">ESSENCE</a> magazine ahead of the release of the &#8220;Avatar&#8221; sequel.
&#8220;Knowing that at 27 years old I was seen by James Cameron and he thought that I had what it took to become Neytiri,&#8221; Saldana shared. &#8220;I just ran for the hills I tell you.&#8221;
&#8220;I just ran with it and I gave 120 percent every single day,&#8221; she added. &#8220;I haven&#8217;t stopped doing that.&#8221;
And given the superstar actress&#8217; upcoming projects, she has a chance to make history once more following the release of the highly-anticipated third and final installment in the &#8220;Guardians of the Galaxy&#8221; franchise, where she will reprise her role as Gamora in &#8220;Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.&#8221; She is also expected to be part of future &#8220;Avatar&#8221; sequels.
The success of &#8220;Avatar: The Way of Water&#8221; has launched director Cameron into history as well, becoming the first-ever director with three $2 billion dollar films in his impressive resume, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/james-cameron-becomes-only-director-with-3-films-grossing-2b-worldwide-following-success-of-avatar-the-way-of-water" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The 68-year-old Canadian filmmaker earned the distinction following the massive success of the &#8220;Avatar&#8221; sequel when it recently surpassed the $2 billion mark at the global box office after its December 2022 release. It had a production budget of between $350 and $460 million, according to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11665355/James-Cameron-director-three-films-2-BILLION-following-Avatar-2-success.html">The Daily Mail</a>.
Cameron&#8217;s other massive blockbuster successes came from his original &#8220;Avatar&#8221; in 2009 and the Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet-led love story in 1997 &#8220;Titanic,&#8221; both of which earned more than $2 billion worldwide.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/james-cameron-says-new-titanic-investigation-will-finally-settle-that-jack-and-rose-door-debate-once-and-for-all">James Cameron Says New &#8216;Titanic&#8217; Investigation Will Finally Settle That Jack And Rose &#8216;Door&#8217; Debate Once And For All</a>

Zoey Saldana-2

Zoe Saldana Makes Box Office History After Four Films Cross Incredible Milestone

Box Office

Marvel

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-cameron">James Cameron</a> just made history by becoming the first-ever director with three $2 billion dollar <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">films</a> in his repertoire.
The 68-year-old Canadian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hollywood">filmmaker</a> earned the distinction following the massive success of his latest project, “Avatar: The Way of Water.” The sequel to his initial “Avatar” blockbuster surpassed $2 billion in global box office sales six weeks after its December 2021 release. It had a production budget between $350 and $460 million, <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11665355/James-Cameron-director-three-films-2-BILLION-following-Avatar-2-success.html">according to</a> The Daily Mail.
Previously, Cameron’s other films “Avatar” (2009) and “Titanic” (1997) also earned more than $2 billion worldwide.
In the larger world of film, surpassing $2 billion in revenue doesn’t happen often. Other films that made that kind of money include “Avengers: Endgame” (2019), which earned just under $2.8 billion on a budget of $356-400 million, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) which earned $2 billion with a budget of $306 million, and “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018), which also earned $2 billion on a budget of $325-$400 million.
Cameron said the “Avatar” franchise would continue if enough people bought tickets for “The Way of Water.” The director explained that scenes for the third and fourth installments were already shot to avoid continuity issues related to child actors looking too grown up.
“Otherwise, you get — and I love ‘Stranger Things’ — but you get the ‘Stranger Things’ effect where they’re supposed to still be in high school [but] they look like they’re 27,” Cameron told Entertainment Weekly, as The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/james-cameron-already-shot-avatar-3-and-4-to-avoid-stranger-things-effect-teens-who-look-like-theyre-27">reported</a>. “You know, I love the show. It’s OK, we’ll suspend disbelief. We like the characters, but, you know.”
During another interview, Cameron said he wasn’t even sure “The Way of Water” would cause a splash at the box office like the first “Avatar” did. Since so much time had passed between the original and the sequel, the Canadian filmmaker knew the whole thing was a gamble.
“There’s skepticism in the marketplace. Can anybody even remember the characters’ names? We’ll see what happens after this film,” he <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-cameron-interview-avatar-the-way-of-water-franchise-future-1235271483/">told</a> The Hollywood Reporter in November.
Now that gamble is paying off in a big way. Cameron seems committed to making the next movies in the series, as he revealed on HBO Max&#8217;s “Who&#8217;s Talking to Chris Wallace?” this month. 
“It looks like with the momentum that the film has now that we&#8217;ll easily pass our break even in the next few days, so it looks like I can&#8217;t wiggle out of this and I&#8217;m gonna have to do these other sequels,” he said. “I know what I&#8217;m going to be doing the next six or seven years.”

James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way Of Water” World Premiere – VIP Arrivals

James Cameron Becomes Only Director With 3 Films Grossing $2B Worldwide Following Success Of ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’

James Cameron Becomes Only Director With 3 Films Grossing $2B Worldwide Following Success Of 'Avatar: The Way Of Water'

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-cameron" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Cameron</a> said a new &#8220;Titanic&#8221; investigation will finally settle the Jack and Rose &#8220;door&#8221; debate once and for all after fans have speculated for nearly three decades about the fate of both characters from his 1997 disaster-romance film.
Cameron said that a National Geographic documentary, &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/25-years-later-titanic-would-sink-not-soar-in-modern-america" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Titanic: 25 Years Later with James Cameron</a>,&#8221; recreated the famed floating door scene and proved whether or not Leonardo DiCaprio&#8217;s character, Jack, could have survived by climbing onto the debris in the middle of the freezing waters, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2023/01/14/titanic-james-cameron-investigates-jack-and-rose-survive/11052294002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USA Today</a> recently reported.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/james-cameron-cut-10-minutes-of-guns-from-new-avatar-flick-over-fears-hed-fetishize-firearms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cameron</a> first shot down the fan theory that it was a door at all during a Television Critics Association panel.
&#8220;A new investigation we&#8217;ve just done will settle this fan-based question about Jack and Rose and a piece of floating debris, which everyone calls a door,&#8221; the director shared.
&#8220;It&#8217;s technically not a door,&#8221; he added, before noting that &#8220;it&#8217;s a piece of wood paneling from the first-class cabin.&#8221;
In honor of the film&#8217;s 25th anniversary, the documentary has scientifically recreated the exact situation from the film where Rose managed to survive floating on what was believed to be a door, but Jack perished in the freezing waters after the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
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Marking the anniversary of the film, Titanic: 25 Years Later with <a href="https://twitter.com/JimCameron?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JimCameron</a> will settle the debate once and for all: could Jack have survived? Find out Sunday, February 5 at 9/8c on National Geographic. <a href="https://t.co/2SKx5cUagf">pic.twitter.com/2SKx5cUagf</a>
&mdash; National Geographic TV (@NatGeoTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NatGeoTV/status/1614063614175870977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The documentary hired two stunt doubles with similar sizes to DiCaprio and Winslet&#8217;s characters who were placed in 56-degree water. Cameron said the documentary then &#8220;doubled the time for every stage&#8221; of the recreation for this investigation, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/titanic-director-james-cameron-new-investigation-will-settle-jack-rose-door-debate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a> noted.
&#8220;That actually plots out quite accurately according to the algorithms,&#8221; Cameron shared of the &#8220;scientific approach&#8221; to determine if Jack could have survived if instead of remaining in the water, he had pulled himself up onto the floating debris with Rose.
&#8220;We weren&#8217;t trying to prove or disprove anything, we&#8217;re just trying to say, &#8216;If you do this, does it make it better?’” he added.
&#8220;Across four tests, we came to some pretty hard and fast conclusions,&#8221; the director of the film continued, without revealing what they found.
The documentary will air February 5 on National Geographic.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kate-winslet-james-cameron-share-opinions-on-infamous-titanic-door-debate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kate Winslet, James Cameron Share Opinions On Infamous &#8216;Titanic&#8217; Door Debate</a>

“Titanic”

James Cameron Says New ‘Titanic’ Investigation Will Finally Settle That Jack And Rose ‘Door’ Debate Once And For All

&#8220;Avatar: The Way of Water&#8221; has soared past &#8220;Top Gun: Maverick&#8221; at the global box office to become the top-grossing film released in 2022.
The highly-anticipated &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-avatar-flick-tops-1-billion-in-just-14-days-faster-than-any-other-film-this-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Avatar</a>&#8221; sequel from director <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/james-cameron-already-shot-avatar-3-and-4-to-avoid-stranger-things-effect-teens-who-look-like-theyre-27" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Cameron,</a> through Thursday, earned $1.547 billion at the box office internationally, <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/01/avatar-the-way-of-water-box-office-beats-top-gun-maverick-best-of-2022-1235211240/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deadline</a> reported.
The &#8220;Avatar&#8221; sequel has become the ninth highest-grossing film of all time at the global box office, overtaking &#8220;The Avengers,” which brought in $1.521 billion in 2012, the outlet noted.
As of Wednesday, the fantasy film had beaten out the &#8220;Top Gun&#8221; sequel, earning $454 million domestically and crossing the $1 billion mark globally, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/avatar-the-way-of-water-box-office-top-gun-1235290677/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hollywood Reporter</a> noted.
Paramount’s &#8220;Top Gun: Maverick&#8221; was released in May, and previously held the honor of top-grossing movie released in 2022, earning $1.49 billion globally.
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&quot;I’m gonna have to do these other [&#39;Avatar&#39;] sequels. I know what I’m going to be doing the next six or seven years&#8230;.We’ve begun a saga that can now play out over multiple films.”<a href="https://t.co/Y8IHx4olJk">https://t.co/Y8IHx4olJk</a>
&mdash; Variety (@Variety) <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1611439076472942592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Ahead of the release of “Avatar: The Way Of Water,” Cameron said the movie would have to earn $2 billion to &#8220;break even,&#8221; as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-avatar-flick-tops-1-billion-in-just-14-days-faster-than-any-other-film-this-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. However, despite Cameron’s assertion, <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/avatar-the-way-of-water-900-million-worldwide-1235472877/#:~:text=Cameron%20estimated%20the%20movie%20needs,probably%20closer%20to%20%241.5%20billion." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Variety</a> reports that “analysts believe the threshold to profitability is probably closer to $1.5 billion.”
Cameron shared during his Friday appearance on HBO Max&#8217;s &#8220;Who&#8217;s Talking to Chris Wallace?&#8221; that his film will easily pass that point in the next few days, <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/james-cameron-says-avatar-2-190229417.html">Yahoo.com</a> noted.
&#8220;It looks like with the momentum that the film has now that we&#8217;ll easily pass our break even in the next few days, so it looks like I can&#8217;t wiggle out of this and I&#8217;m gonna have to do these other sequels,&#8221; Cameron said. &#8220;I know what I&#8217;m going to be doing the next six or seven years.&#8221;
&#8220;The point is we&#8217;re going to be okay,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I&#8217;m sure that we&#8217;ll have a discussion soon with with the top folks at Disney about the game plan going forward for &#8216;Avatar 3,’ which is already in the can — we&#8217;ve already captured and photographed the whole film, so we&#8217;re in extended post-production to do all that CG magic.&#8221;
&#8220;And then &#8216;Avatar 4&#8217; and &#8216;5&#8217; are both written,&#8221; Cameron continued. &#8220;We even have some of &#8216;4&#8217; in the can. We&#8217;ve begun a franchise at this point. We&#8217;ve begun a saga that can now play out over multiple films.&#8221;
The first &#8220;Avatar&#8221; film brought in $2.97 billion and holds the record as the highest-grossing release in cinema history, <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/avatar-the-way-of-water-billion-dollar-box-office-1235473320/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Variety</a> noted.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/avatar-director-james-cameron-having-a-pregnant-warrior-is-last-bastion-of-empowering-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8216;Avatar&#8217; Director James Cameron: Having A &#8216;Pregnant&#8217; Warrior Is &#8216;Last Bastion&#8217; Of Empowering Women</a>

Avatar

‘Avatar’ Sequel Soars Past ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Globally To Become Top Grossing Film Of 2022

Top Gun

Audiences are quickly proving that they have been waiting for director James Cameron&#8217;s newest sequel, &#8220;Avatar: The Way of Water&#8221; — driving the franchise&#8217;s second installment to $1 billion at the global box office in just 14 days.
According to a <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/avatar-the-way-of-water-billion-dollar-box-office-1235473320/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> published Tuesday by the entertainment website Variety, Cameron&#8217;s lengthy epic managed the feat in less time than any other movie in 2022 — and was one of only three released this year to reach the milestone at all. The other two were also sequels — &#8220;Top Gun: Maverick,&#8221; which cleared the hurdle in about one month; and &#8220;Jurassic World Dominion,&#8221; which took a full four months.
Variety&#8217;s report also noted that &#8220;Spider Man: No Way Home&#8221; (2021) was the most recent movie to deliver a $1 billion box office take within two weeks — and only <a href="https://www.insider.com/fastest-grossing-movies-1-billion-box-office-two-weeks-2022-10#2-avengers-infinity-war-11-days-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">six movies</a> have bested $1 billion within two weeks of their initial release date:
<ul>
<li>&#8220;Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom&#8221; (14 days)</li>
<li>&#8220;Jurassic World&#8221; (13 days)</li>
<li>&#8220;Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (12 days)</li>
<li>&#8220;Spider Man: No Way Home&#8221; (12 days)</li>
<li>&#8220;Avengers: Infinity War” (11 days)</li>
<li>&#8220;Avengers: Endgame&#8221; (5 days)</li>
</ul>
But according to Cameron, bringing in $1 billion is quite literally only half the battle. He has told reporters that because of the film&#8217;s massive operating budget — and millions in additional promotional material — the movie would have to top $2 billion in order for him to break even on the project. However, despite Cameron’s assertion, <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/avatar-the-way-of-water-900-million-worldwide-1235472877/#:~:text=Cameron%20estimated%20the%20movie%20needs,probably%20closer%20to%20%241.5%20billion." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Variety</a> reports that “analysts believe the threshold to profitability is probably closer to $1.5 billion.”
In addition, Cameron has already sunk time and money into two more installments in the &#8220;Avatar&#8221; franchise — he reportedly <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/james-cameron-already-shot-avatar-3-and-4-to-avoid-stranger-things-effect-teens-who-look-like-theyre-27/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already filmed</a> the third movie, as well as <a href="https://collider.com/avatar-3-filming-nearly-complete-jon-landau-comments/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">parts</a> of the fourth, in an effort to preserve continuity and avoid having his actors age out before the projects are finished.
The first &#8220;Avatar&#8221; film still holds the record as the highest grossing release in cinema history, shattering box office records with a haul of $2.97 billion in 2009.
Cameron made news earlier in the week when, during a press tour for the popular sequel, he revealed that he had cut at least <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/james-cameron-cut-10-minutes-of-guns-from-new-avatar-flick-over-fears-hed-fetishize-firearms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ten minutes</a> of gun play from the three hour epic over fears that he might &#8220;fetishize&#8221; firearms.
&#8220;I actually cut about 10 minutes of the movie targeting gunplay action. I wanted to get rid of some of the ugliness, to find a balance between light and dark. You have to have conflict, of course. Violence and action are the same thing, depending on how you look at it. This is the dilemma of every action filmmaker, and I’m known as an action filmmaker,&#8221; Cameron said, adding that he might do other films — such as &#8220;Terminator&#8221; and &#8220;True Lies&#8221; — differently in order to avoid making firearms appear glamorous.

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