Before Avatar: Fire and Ashes opens in theaters around the world, director James Cameron wants moviegoers to know that no generative AI was used in the making of the sequel. In an interview with ComicBook.com, the Oscar winner said he spoke out about the issue not out of any vendetta against generative AI, but because he has a problem with people believing that non-real human actors are being used to bring Avatar’s characters to life through performance capture technology.
“I’m not negative about generative AI,” Cameron said. “I just wanted to point out that we don’t use that word in the ‘Avatar’ movies. We celebrate and celebrate actors. We don’t replace actors. It’s going to find its level. I think Hollywood will self-police on that. We will find a way to get through it. But we can only find a way to get through it as artists if we exist. So what worries me more than all of that is the existential threat from the big AI.”
Cameron and his “Avatar” actors have spent decades showing the industry just how authentic the acting in the series is. Zoe Saldaña, who plays Neytiri in Avatar, told Beyond Noise earlier this year that performance capture is “the most empowering form of acting” because it “gives you the trust to own 100% of your performance on screen.”
“Performance capture means Avatar wouldn’t exist if Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthington, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, myself, and the entire cast didn’t stand up and put dots on our faces,” she said. “From archery, martial arts, free diving, scuba diving where you can hold your breath underwater for more than 5 minutes, to languages. [James] From coming up with something out of thin air, to training physically with former gymnasts, circus performers, and acrobats to learn how to walk like extraterrestrials…this is who we are all about, an amazing group of stunt actors who give their characters a bionic feel. God bless them. With the technology Jim creates, he gives artists complete ownership. ”
Mr Cameron said variety In 2024, as part of Saldaña’s cover story, she shared that her work as Neytiri in the Avatar series was delayed in being recognized at the Oscars.
“I’ve worked with many Academy Award-winning actors, but Zoe’s work has never been better,” the director said. “But in my movie, she plays a ‘CG character,’ so that makes no sense in a way. To me, it makes no sense at all. She can go from imposing to completely feral in two nanoseconds. This woman is ferocious. She’s one hell of a lioness.”
Cameron remains dedicated to human performers when it comes to acting in movies. He told CBS Sunday Morning last month that it was “terrifying” how generative AI could now create artificial actors on screen.
“We have generative AI, and we can craft characters,” Cameron said. “They can craft an actor. They can craft a performance from scratch using text prompts. It’s like no. That’s scary to me.”
But Cameron isn’t completely anti-AI when it comes to Hollywood. He announced in September 2024 that he will be joining the board of directors of Stability AI, the company that developed the text-to-image model Stable Diffusion. Earlier this year, Prime Minister David Cameron explained his interest in AI by saying on the Boss to the Future podcast that the future of blockbuster filmmaking “depends on whether we can bring down the cost of production.” [VFX] In half. ” The director openly admitted that he is looking for ways to responsibly incorporate AI into VFX workflows.
“If I want to continue to see the movies that I’ve always loved and that I love making and that I’m going to continue to see, like Dune and Dune Part 2, or any of the big movies that are heavy on my work and effects and CG, I have to figure out a way to cut the cost in half,” he said at the time. “This isn’t about firing half the staff and the effects company. It’s about doubling the speed at which certain shots get done, so the cadence is faster, the throughput cycle is faster, and the artists can move on and do other great things and then do some other great things. That’s my vision.”
For Cameron, the intersection of AI and Hollywood is in the post-production process, not the actual filmmaking or development process. In an interview with CTV News, the director expressed doubts that AI could write “good stories” and phased out screenwriters.
According to Cameron, “Personally, I don’t believe that disembodied minds just regurgitate what other disembodied minds have said about their lives, about love, about lies, about fear, about mortality. They just throw it out in a word salad…I never believe that it’s going to be something that moves an audience. You have to be human to write it.” I don’t know anyone who would consider having an AI write a script. ”
Avatar: Fire and Ash will be released in theaters on December 19th by Disney and 20th Century Studios.
