We’ve learned to live with films with similar concepts coming out at the same time – giant asteroid movies, volcano movies, homosexual writers visiting killers in jail movies. Now we may have to start learning to live with movies with similar names coming out at the same time. This December it was The Good German and The Good Shepherd. Next it could be Avatar and… Avatar.
As Dan reporter earlier, James Cameron and Fox confirmed that he will begin directing his next movie, called Avatar, this April. Just hours later, M Night Shyamalan and Paramount Pictures announced that they were making a movie called Avatar.
The two movies have nothing to do with each other. First of all, Cameron’s film will probably be good (and this is coming from a guy who found Lady in the Water at least amusing because of the insane egotistic subtext). Second, Cameron’s film is a space adventure that he’s been working on for the last 11 years; Shyamalan’s film is based on the hit Nickelodeon cartoon of the same name about some lame ass elemental martial artist magicians, but with the subtitle The Last Airbender.
Now begins a game of high stakes chicken. Paramount says that they have already registered the name with the MPAA, making the title theirs. Fox, however, thinks otherwise. A rep told Variety: "We own the movie title ‘Avatar.’ There won’t be another film called ‘Avatar’ coming from anyplace."
Obviously the only way for this to be worked out is a boxing match between Cameron and Shyamalan.
Shyamalan will write, direct and produce his Avatar, the first in a perceived live action franchise, as part of a three picture deal with Paramount and Nick Movies. I don’t know what the Nickelodeon Avatar is about, but looking at a picture from the cartoon I have decided that I don’t care to find out. Sadly, I will probably get emails from people who are ostensibly and chronologically adults telling me how great this piece of kiddie crap is.