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James Cameron has directed the biggest blockbuster films in the world on two separate occasions, but not every movie by the director has performed quite as extraordinarily well. Cameron has been making feature-length films since the 1980s, and while that decade did see him deliver incredible, enduring works of art like Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Aliens, they were not his first contributions to the world of cinema. However, for Cameron, creativity and imagination have always played an essential role in his films.

While Cameron has been a producer for nearly 50 different films, and written or contributed to the writing for more than 50, he has only directed eleven feature films, with two of these titles being documentaries. He also puts a lot of time and energy into his films, with some projects like Avatar and the sequels taking literal decades to create. And with three of the top four highest...

Director James Cameron has purchased the rights to Charles Pellegrino‘s upcoming book “Ghosts of Hiroshima,” which will be published by Blackstone Publishing in August 2025 (the 80th anniversary of the bomb’s dropping in 1945).

Cameron will combine and adapt “Ghosts” and Pellegrino’s 2015 book “Last Train From Hiroshima” into a single film, which he will shoot when “Avatar” production allows. It will be titled “Last Train from Hiroshima.”

The film will tell the true story of a Japanese man during World War II who survived two atomic bombings: after living through the explosion in Hiroshima, he took a train to Nagasaki, enduring another blast there. Pellegrino was a science consultant to Cameron on both “Avatar” and “Titanic,” and Cameron has been interested in bringing this story to the big screen for over 20 years.

The project would mark Cameron’s first non-“Avatar” franchise project as a narrative feature director since 1997, when he released “Titanic.

Titanic director James Cameron's other movie on the subject has become a streaming hit on Netflix. Ghosts of the Abyss, which draws its title from another James Cameron movie, is a 2003 documentary that the director released, just six years after dramatizing the events of the 1912 Titanic disaster in his Oscar-winning romantic epic. The 3D documentary follows an expedition to the Titanic wreckage taken by Cameron, Titanic star Bill Paxton, and a team of scientists that unknowingly occurred during the events of 9/11, which is then used to draw parallels to the historical disaster.

Netflix is reporting that Ghosts of the Abyss has entered their global top 10 English-language movies this week, landing at No. 8 with 3.3 million views garnering a total of 4.9 million viewing hours. This 20-years-late boost likely comes from the addition of Titanic on Netflix on July 1, and the interest in Titanic expeditions has being piqued following the implosion of...

James Cameron got his start in the film industry doing visual-effects work for low-budget sci-fi movies like “Galaxy of Terror” and “Battle Beyond the Stars,” but it didn’t take long for his wizardry to land him behind the camera. Within just a few films, Cameron put his stamp on the whole industry, crafting oft-imitated sci-fi hits on reasonable budgets before throwing huge loads of money into epic and sometimes troubled productions which, fortunately for everyone, pretty much always found an appreciative audience.

Watching Cameron’s films, from his original low-budget short to his trilogy of underwater documentaries, is a trip through his lifelong passions. You can see seeds of future blockbusters in early schlock like “Piranha II: The Spawning,” and you don’t even have to look that hard.

13. “Expedition: Bismarck” (2002)

The second film in James Cameron’s deep-sea-diving documentary trilogy is the dreariest. Cameron once again travels to the bottom of the ocean,...

Why did James Cameron's Avatar take so long to make? The original Avatar movie in 2009 was a game-changing cinematic release that broke new ground for filmmaking and smashed a series of records along the way. After achieving such success, one might think that a sequel would be imminent, but Avatar: The Way of Water didn't arrive until December 2022. Production on more Avatar movies is ongoing, although talk of a follow-up began even before the original had hit theaters. After a long wait, the decade is set to be dominated by Avatar movies, especially after the second movie was another massive box office success.

However, this lengthy period of development is nothing new and still pales in comparison to the amount of time it took for James Cameron's Avatar film to get made. Despite releasing in 2009, Cameron's first Avatar treatment was written in 1994, even before the release of the director's other big screen record-breaker,...

Jake Sully (voiced by Sam Worthington) riding the Great Leonopteryx Toruk in James Cameron’s Avatar Photo: Twentieth Century Fox It’s somehow become a meme in the popular consciousness that Avatar, the highest-grossing movie of all time worldwide, is remembered by nobody, had no lasting impact on pop culture,...

In between working on his Avatar sequels, James Cameron has taken on another huge project: a 4-part documentary series on some of the ocean’s most awesome inhabitants.

Cameron is the executive producer of Secrets of the Whales, a National Geographic series that will premiere on the Disney+ streaming platform on Earth Day, April 22.

“It’s the kind of challenging, daunting subject that appeals to me,” Cameron explained during a SXSW Conference panel Thursday titled “Ocean Storytelling.” “It’s also so important for people to understand and for this film to illuminate how these creatures think, how they feel, what their emotion is like, what their society is like, because we won’t protect what we don’t love.”

Avatar star Sigourney Weaver narrates the docuseries, which was filmed over a three-year period in 24 aqueous locations across the globe. National Geographic Explorer and photographer Brian Skerry conceived the series, basing...

Sentient and Endurance Media are producing and will finance the project.

Sam Worthington, star of the upcoming Avatar sequels, is in advanced talks to take a break from Pandora to play the lead in shark-versus-killer whale thriller Alphas, which Voltage Pictures is introducing to Efm buyers.

Sentient and Endurance Media are producing and will finance the project. Steven Quale (Final Destination 5), who co-directed Aliens Of The Deep with James Cameron and started out as second unit director on Titanic and Avatar, will direct the high seas adventure.

The producers have already licensed the feature to Germany (Square One/Prosieben), Spain (YouPlanet), and Middle East,...

For those of you who have signed up or plan on signing up for Disney+, we now have a full list of TV shows and films that will be available to watch on the day the service launches. While there’s not as much here as the services like Netflix or Hulu, there’s still a lot here that I’m excited about watching!

This is the list of shows and films that were included in the trial run for the streaming service that’s currently available in The Netherlands. So, you’ll notice that that upcoming titles such as The Mandalorian, Lady and the Tramp, Noelle and The World According to Jeff Goldblum aren’t on this list. But, they will be available when the service launches on November 12th.

I’ve already signed up for Disney+. I’m locked in for three years and with all of the...

Exclusive: When Avengers: Endgame surpassed Avatar to claim the title of the highest-grossing film in history, it ended one of the most impressive reigns in the annals of screen entertainment: James Cameron, first with Titanic (1997) and then with Avatar (2009), had owned the top spot on the all-time chart for a staggering 7,817 consecutive days — just shy of 21 1/2 years.

Cameron was busy in New Zealand working on the sequels to Avatar in late July when Avengers: Endgame (Disney/Marvel Studios) finally eclipsed the original Avatar (Fox) and its $2.79 billion benchmark. Was the ultra-competitive Cameron dejected or sour when he heard the news? Far from it, he says, his first reaction was actually relief and optimism.

“It gives me a lot of hope,” Cameron told Deadline. “Avengers: Endgame is demonstrable proof that people will still go to movie theaters. The thing that scared me most about making Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 was...

“Aliens of the Deep” director Steven Quale is set to direct aquatic thriller “Alphas,” based on the screenplay by Frank Hannah. Finance and sales are by Voltage Pictures.

The story sees a school of great white sharks terrorize a coastal town. The town’s only hope is a damaged killer whale who has been in solitary confinement for years after killing its trainer.

Production is by Nicolas Chartier for Voltage, Pierre Morel (“Taken”) and Sentient Entertainment’s Renee Tab and Christopher Tuffin. Jonathan Deckter, president and COO of Voltage, will executive produce. The film is being pitched at the American Film Market.

Describing “Alphas” as “highly commercial yet sophisticated,” Chartier said: “Steven Quale has a formidable track record of bringing beautifully made blockbusters.” Quale, a protégé of James Cameron, has credits that also include New Line Cinema’s “Final Destination 5” and action thriller “Into the Storm.”

Hannah is a Scottish-born screenwriter and filmmaker,...

Steven Quale is set to direct the upcoming aquatic thriller Alphas, based on the screenplay by Frank Hannah (The Cooler).

The deep sea epic centers on a school of great white sharks terrorizing a coastal town. The only hope is a damaged killer whale who has been in solitary confinement for years after killing its trainer.

Producers include Academy Award-winning Nicolas Chartier for Voltage Pictures, Pierre Morel and Sentient Entertainment’s, Renee Tab and Christopher Tuffin. Jonathan Deckter, President and COO of Voltage Pictures will executive produce.

In addition to producing, Voltage Pictures will also finance the film and is handling worldwide sales for the VFX thriller.

“Alphas typifies the kind of highly commercial, yet sophisticated films that attract buyers to the Voltage slate,” said Nicolas Chartier, CEO of Voltage Pictures. “Steven Quale has a formidable...

Voltage Pictures has boarded Alphas, a shark-invested thriller from Aliens of the Deep director Steven Quale. Nicolas Chartier's production and sales outfit will fully finance and handle worldwide sales on the project.

The plot of Alphas involves a school of great white sharks that terrorize a coastal town, whose only hope is to release a damaged killer whale that has been in solitary confinement for years after killing its trainer. Frank Hannah (The Cooler) penned the screenplay.

Chartier, whose credits include the Oscar winner The Hurt Locker and the Amy Schumer comedy I Feel Pretty, will produce Alphas for Voltage together with Pierre ...

Voltage Pictures has boarded Alphas, a shark-invested thriller from Aliens of the Deep director Steven Quale. Nicolas Chartier's production and sales outfit will fully finance and handle worldwide sales on the project.

The plot of Alphas involves a school of great white sharks that terrorize a coastal town, whose only hope is to release a damaged killer whale that has been in solitary confinement for years after killing its trainer. Frank Hannah (The Cooler) penned the screenplay.

Chartier, whose credits include the Oscar winner The Hurt Locker and the Amy Schumer comedy I Feel Pretty, will produce Alphas for Voltage together with Pierre ...

Pierre Morel to produce, James Cameron protégée Steven Quale to direct.

Voltage Pictures is fully financing the killer whale vs sharks thriller Alphas and has brought in Steven Quale (Aliens Of The Deep) to direct, and will produce alongside French genre ace Pierre Morel and Sentient Entertainment.

Voltage represents worldwide rights to the underwater thriller that is being lined up as an effects-heavy tentpole that takes place in a coastal community terrorised by a school of sharks.

The townspeople decide the only way to deal with the man-eating threat is to unleash a damaged killer whale held for years in...

Pierre Morel to produce, James Cameron protégée Steven Quale to direct.

Voltage Pictures is fully financing the killer whale vs sharks thriller Alphas and has brought in Steven Quale (Aliens Of The Deep) to direct, with French genre ace Pierre Morel set to produce.

Voltage represents worldwide rights to the underwater thriller that is being lined up as an effects-heavy tentpole that takes place in a coastal community terrorised by a school of sharks.

The townspeople decide the only way to deal with the man-eating threat is to unleash a damaged killer whale held for years in solitary confinement after it killed its trainer.

MaryAnn’s quick take… An action masterpiece newly remastered in gorgeous 4K (and rejiggered for superfluous 3D) reveals how fresh it remains not only technically but thematically. I’m “biast” (pro): love this movie, have seen it a dozen times at least

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

August 29th? It’s Judgment Day! Or at least it would have been, 20 years ago in 1997, if not for the brave actions of mental patient Sarah Connor, her juvenile delinquent son John, and a reprogrammed T-800 killing machine sent back from the future, who didn’t even have a name, poor thing. To commemorate their selfless work, Terminator 2: Judgment Day has been newly remastered in gorgeous 4K, and also rejiggered for 3D, which is entirely superfluous: it adds nothing to the film, but at least it doesn’t detract from it...

Directors’ trademarks is a series of articles that examines the “signatures” that filmmakers leave behind in their work. This month, we’re looking at the trademark style and calling signs of James Cameron as director.

In college, James Cameron decided that he wanted to be a screenwriter. He switched from majoring in Physics to majoring in English, before eventually deciding to drop out and raise money to start his career. During that time, he worked many odd jobs, until he was finally inspired by Star Wars in 1977 to start his career in the film industry. In the early 1980’s he first worked as a miniature model builder at Roger Corman studios, demonstrating a talent for creating innovative special effects. Over time, he became a production designer, and special effects director. In 1981, he was a special effects director for the film Piranha II: The Spawning. Numerous production delays cost the original director his job,...

Never let it be said that James Cameron doesn’t give it everything he’s got when he undertakes a project. After making Titanic in 1997, he also expanded upon his deep sea diving expeditions for several documentaries on the subject – contributing to the development of new technology, and breaking records. When he made Avatar, he developed no fewer than four sequels to tell a broader story – and plans to shoot them consecutively from 2018 to 2023. Before he gets to that, however, he will deliver a six-part documentary series to AMC, focusing on the genre of science fiction – James Cameron’s Story Of Science Fiction, to be precise – about which he is so very passionate.

The limited series will comprise of six hour-long episodes, and each instalment will ask a single question. The show will then examine how that question has been addressed by popular culture, such as film, television, video games,...

Director Steven Quale talks to us about his latest film Into The Storm, working on James Cameron's The Abyss, bad weather and more...

Steven Quale’s career seems to have been constantly submerged in water. Having worked with James Cameron back on The Abyss, their relationship has meant Quale’s involvement on multiple projects including Titanic and a co-director credit on the documentary Aliens Of The Deep. Quale’s solo feature directorial debut was on Final Destination 5, which wasted no time in plunging most of its cast into water, though they were mostly followed by rather heavy and deadly objects.

We caught up for a chat with Mr Quale to discuss his experiences of soaking actors in water and the challenges of filming a special effects heavy blockbuster, while managing to present a film with a new narrative perspective, as Into The Storm incorporates a first-person perspective into its story,...

A movie to make you despair of the found-footage conceit (if you weren’t already). Suddenly Twister looks like Shakespeare. I’m “biast” (pro): love Richard Armitage

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

It’s like Roland Emmerich made a preposterous two-and-a-half-hour climate-change disaster flick — *cough* 2012 *cough* The Day After Tomorrow *cough* — and then someone went in and cut out most of the cheesy melodrama: the subsumed personal issues that come to the fore in the face of certain death, the contrived heat-of-the-moment romances, the triumph-of-the-human-spirit moments when the music swells and the tears are jerked. Whoever did such a thing probably thought they were doing us a favor, but it turns out: not so much. Because what we’re left with, in Into the Storm, may not be risible Mystery Science Theater-worthy crap, but it’s still pretty bad,...

Into the Storm is uneventfully being dumped into theaters this weekend with a logline I won’t dare try to stretch into a lengthy synopsis. It reads as follows: “Storm trackers, thrill-seekers, and everyday townspeople document an unprecedented onslaught of tornadoes touching down in the town of Silverton.” At this point you may be finding yourself a bit perplexed, maybe even infuriated by the idea that out of the 10,000 scripts Warner Bros. likely receives every year, they chose this one to greenlight. But fear not readers, Into the Storm isn’t the unmitigated disaster it appears to be. It’s much worse. Directed by Steven Quale (whose directorial credits, Final Destination 5 and Aliens of the Deep, are often considered the universal symbols of prestige) the film opens with brothers Donnie (Max Deacon) and Trey (Nathan Kress) creating time capsules — short, reflective videos for their future selves to look back at in 25 years. It...

For this week’s spotlight piece, I wanted to take a look at one of directing’s biggest A-listers of them all. The filmmaker in question? Well, that would be James Cameron, of course. A filmmaker who also does his best to literally change the world, Cameron is pretty special. In many ways, he really is the king of the world, so it’s only appropriate that we take a look at him in this particular article series. In any event, here we go now. Cameron got his start working behind the scenes on low budget exploitation before being given a chance to direct Piranha Part Two: The Spawning. He was fired from that project, but still has a credit. If ever there was an outlier on a resume, it’s that one. From there, he set out to make a true first feature, one that turned out to be none other than The Terminator.

What’s new, what’s hot, and what you may have missed, now available to stream.

new to stream

Aliens of the Deep: James Cameron’s undersea science documentary introduces you to scientists whose enthusiasm is infectious and immerses you in its exotic environment in a way that makes you wish it would never end [my review] [at Netflix] Camp 14: Total Control Zone: the only person known to have escaped from a North Korean re-education camp reveals some 1984-level shit, except it’s worse, because it’s not fiction [my review] [at Netflix] Rabbit Hole: devastating drama about the impact on a couple after their young son is killed; excellent performances from Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart [at Netflix]

streaming now, before it’s on dvd

12 Years a Slave: more horror story than historical drama, terrifyingly and heartbreakingly straightforward in the real-life nightmare it depicts; Oscar’s Best Picture for 2013 [at Amazon UK Instant Video]

new to stream

The Railway Man...

We've faced some pretty dismal weather recently, but the thriller briefly known as Black Sky and now titled Into The Storm is looking to kick things a few notches up the Beaufort Scale. The first images from the film are online courtesy of USA Today. Into The Storm stars Sarah Wayne Callies as a meteorologist who arrives in the small Oklahoma town of Silverton with a storm chaser (Matt Walsh) in tow to gather new data on tornadoes. She's arrived at a fortuitous but dangerous time, because a massive series of storms is about to hit. Caught up in the chaos is Gary Morris (Richard Armitage), a school assistant principal who goes looking for his son when the twisters strike.Steven Quayle, who graduated from working with James Cameron to directing with Aliens Of The Deep and Final Destination 5, is the man charged with overseeing the madness from his director's chair,...

There's almost a sub-genre of cinema based on James Cameron's interest in the deep ocean. The Abyss and Titanic are the two fictional movies but Cameron has also created documentaries that serve almost as companion pieces to these pictures, namely Aliens of the Deep and Ghosts of the Abyss. The latter was an theatrically release hour-long show that came out in 2003. With the staggering billion-dollar success of 1997's Titanic, Cameron was convinced (perhaps not financially but certainly creatively) to go back and revisit the final resting place of the most infamous passenger vessel to traverse the ocean.

Ghosts of the Abyss also allowed Cameron to start to create the 3D camera technology that he would later use to create the photorealistic CG alien world of Pandora in Avatar. Perhaps it was on this experience exploring the rusting hulk of the Titanic as it lies on the ocean floor that...

The Weinstein Company was trying to develop a new Halloween movie a few months back with Platinum Dunes, and Federico D’Alessandro was one filmmaker who worked on a pitch for the potential remake. Mr. D’Alessandro is primarily a storyboard artist, getting his start on James Cameron’s Aliens Of The Deep, and known more recently for his work as Head Storyboard Artist and Animatics Supervisor at Marvel studios, working on Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and The Avengers.

For his Halloween pitch, he created a technically impressive nine-minute animatic along with some keyframes, but the project ultimately dissolved. Mr. D’Alessandro told /Film:

“It turned out pretty cool, but unfortunately while I was in the middle of working on it, talks fell through between Platinum Dunes and the Weinsteins…so I missed the boat on that one. With Halloween being re-released to theaters soon, and October coming up,...

Great news for "Avatar" fans, but not for those hoping to see director James Cameron's take on romantic comedies. The Oscar-winning King of the World told the New York Times that he's only in "the 'Avatar' business" now.

"I’m making 'Avatar 2,' 'Avatar 3,' maybe 'Avatar 4,'" Cameron revealed during an interview about the Chinese film industry. "I’m not going to produce other people’s movies for them. I’m not interested in taking scripts."

While Cameron admitted that the all-"Avatar," all-the-time career arc might seem a "bit restricted," he says the films allow him to say "everything" he needs to say about "the state of the world." He'll also continue to produce documentaries.

While the comments might seem surprising, looking at Cameron's resume tells you they aren't. The director has released just two feature films since 1997 ("Titanic" and...

James Cameron fans issued a collective sigh of disappointment when it was learned that the Avatar sequels wouldn’t hit for nearly half a decade, but there’s at least one thing to satiate this thirst during that interim. A press release from ComingSoon (via FirstShowing) informs us that Cameron will, through a partnership with National Geographic, return to Ghosts of the Abyss and Aliens of the Deep territory for Deepsea Challenge, a 3D documentary chronicling the director’s journey to the depths of the Mariana Trench — or, Earth’s deepest point.

Seven miles below the Ocean, Cameron will spend six hours exploring the area, “[collecting] samples for research in marine biology, microbiology, astrobiology, marine geology and geophysics,” findings which will hopefully “expand our knowledge and understanding of these largely unknown parts of the planet.”

Unfortunately, National Geographic’s involvement means that Deepsea Challenge will be a television production, and that...

Everybody knows about Titanic, James Cameron's most iconic water-related film that's getting a 3D re-release from Paramount next month. In between directing Titanic and Avatar, the award-winning filmmaker (who is also a pioneer in underwater camera technology) journeyed to the real Titanic in a 3D IMAX documentary called Ghosts of the Abyss and ventured to the sea floor again two years later in Aliens of the Deep. Now he's set to return to the oceans with a new 3D documentary called Deepsea Challenge, in which he partners with National Geographic to explore the world's deepest point - the Mariana Trench. Cameron and his team have built a submersible that will allow them the opportunity to explore the trench for six hours nearly seven miles below the surface, the first extensive scientific exploration by a manned vehicle to the trench's lowest point. Cameron says: “The deep trenches are the last...

It's no secret that James Cameron is looking to take the Avatar sequels to a whole new level by taking us to an underwater world of glory. The last we heard, producer Jon Landau said we are about four years away from seeing a new Avatar film. Why? you ask, because of technology. Once again, Cameron needs to create new advanced 3D tech that will be used for the CG and performance capture and will also have a higher frame rate. That, and of course Cameron needs a specially built submarine for research. Wait, what?

I was under the impression that Cameron took ocean bottom vacations every weekend. The news comes from Sigourney Weever who recently stated that her character in the first film will be back regardless of the fact that she died. She did an interview with Bad Taste, and here's how google translated what she said,

I...

Sadly after just unveiling that he was to be Managing Director of James Cameron's newly established Australian based office, Cameron Pace - which specialises in 3D technologies - it was reported that Andrew Wight, and cinematographer Mike deGruy, died in a helicopter crash on Saturday in Nowra.   A long time friend and collaborator of Cameron, the 51-year-old Wight has worked with the famed director on a number of films including the underwater documentaries Ghosts Of The Abyss and Aliens Of The Deep which utilised and refined groundbreaking technology.

Australian filmmaker Andrew Wight was killed over the weekend in a tragic helicopter crash. He was 52.

Best known for producing and co-writing last year.s 3D feature film Sanctum, Wight and American cinematographer Mike deGruy, who also died in the crash,.were flying around Nsw.s south coast when the chopper crashed.

A Nsw police media report said emergency services were called to the scene at about 3.55pm on Saturday at an airstrip in Jaspers Brush, near Nowra. Nsw Police and other emergency services attended and found the helicopter . a Robinson R-44 . well alight.

The pair were working together on a new National Geographic project when the accident happened.

National Geographic Society president Tim Kelly paid tribute to the pair, saying both Andrew and Mike were part of the society.s extended family.

.Our hearts, prayers, and thoughts go out to their loved ones. They accomplished so much, but were taken too early,...

Producer Andrew Wight (right), best known for his collaboration with James Cameron on Sanctum, and cinematographer Mike deGruy, among whose credits is the documentary Deep Blue, have died earlier today as their helicopter crashed while taking off from an airstrip south of Berry in New South Wales, Australia. Wight, from the Australian state of Victoria, was 51; deGruy, from Santa Barbara, California, was 60. According to the Melbourne Herald Sun, they were scouting locations for a a documentary at Jervis Bay, Nsw. Avatar and Titanic's James Cameron was reportedly involved in the project as well. In addition to various Adventures of the Quest programs for Australian television and other TV fare (e.g., Last Mysteries of the Titanic), Andrew Wight produced a couple of features: the aforementioned Sanctum, for which James Cameron received credit as co-producer, and Aliens of the Deep, a 2005 documentary co-directed by Cameron and Steven Quale. Purportedly based...

A 51-year-old Australian film/TV writer-producer and a 60-year-old American cinematographer died in a helicopter crash shortly after takeoff on the New South Wales south coast today. Oz news reports describe Andrew Wight as James Cameron’s ‘right-hand man’ in Melbourne and was piloting the craft with Santa Barbara-based Mike deGruy aboard. Wight was writer-producer of the most successful Australian movie of 2011, the 3D film Sanctum executive produced by Cameron, as well as general manager of Cameron’s first 3D production company outside the U.S., the Melbourne-based Cameron Pace. DeGruy specialized in underwater cinematography and had won multiple BAFTA and Emmy awards for his camera artistry. Wight was a diver/explorer whose Sanctum screenplay took in $100M worldwide at the box office and was based on his own near-death experience in an underwater cave. The pair were believed scouting locations for an upcoming project together said to be a documentary about Papua,...

Release Date: Dec. 27, 2011

Price: DVD $22.97, Blu-ray $29.99, Blu-ray/DVD Combo $35.99

Studio: Warner Home Video

Death tries to get the upperhand again in Final Destination 5. Despite being released in 3D in theaters, the horror movie’s home release includes DVD and Blu-ray but not Blu-ray 3D.

This time, it’s Nicholas D’Agosto (From Prada to Nada) who has the premonition and thus saves himself and numerous others, including Miles Fisher (Gods and Generals) and Emma Bell (Elektra Luxx), from death in a horrific bridge collapse. When death comes after them, the group must race against time to keep a step ahead. Courtney B. Vance (TV’s FlashForward) and David Koechner (A Good Old Fashioned Orgy) also star.

The R-rated movie is the first feature film directed by Steven Quale, whose last movie was documentary Aliens of the Deep.

Final Destination 5 grossed a tidy $42 million in wide release in theaters,...

Obviously if you have a documentary nerd like myself at an event celebrating technological progress, like last night’s Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Awards, and James Cameron just happens to be present to accept a major honor, I’m going to want to talk to him about how important innovation has been in the history of nonfiction cinema. And that’s just what I attempted when it was my turn to speak to the famed director of such works as Aliens of the Deep, Ghosts of the Abyss and Exhibition Bismarck. Immediately Cameron seemed excited, as if he is never asked about this side of his career. While I’m not sure what he meant when he then claimed he started out in documentary (maybe I understood him wrong), he was kind enough to indulge my remarks about advances...

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Watching a Final Destination film is like watching a Road Runner cartoon. There’s little left that’s really frightening about them and those familiar to the series know exactly what they’re in for. The success of each follow-up ultimately depends on the effectiveness of the misdirection. In these films, our brains are constantly processing the environment. We’re not working out whether the anvil will fall on Wile E. Coyote’s head, but rather, how. So while not rising to the loopy delights of last year’s Piranha 3D, Final Destination 5 at least understands what it needs to do and, measured against its predecessors, rises higher than expected.

This time out, the teen victims are a little older, but no wiser. It begins when paper company employee/wannabe chef Sam (Nicholas D’Agosto) has a premonition while on a retreat. Stuck in traffic on a suspension bridge,...

Final Destination 5 director Steven Quale has a bridge sequence that he really wants you to see in the latest installment of the fate-focused franchise. The unlikely series--which could otherwise be thought of a "A Series of Unfortunate Events That Happen to People Who Avoid Yet Another Unfortunate Event"--makes its IMAX debut in the second film from the franchise to be shot in 3D after 2009's The Final Destination. Quale should know a little something about the process of shooting in 3D--he worked alongside James Cameron as the second unit director on Avatar, and he co-directed the Aliens of the Deep documentary with Cameron back in 2005. Our own Peter Martin had some kind words to say about Quale's direction of the film in his...

Jacqueline MacInnes Wood in Final Destination 5

Photo: New Line Cinema The Final Destination franchise has never been about acting or story. The idea you can't cheat death and if you do escape its clutches it will come back for you isn't fodder for high art, but rather an opportunity for cheap thrills and it's been successful before. In my opinion the original film was decent and Final Destination 2 was downright entertaining, but since 2006's Final Destination 3, the franchise has fallen.

2009's The Final Destination was expected to be the fourth and final installment in the now-11-year-old franchise. Then it went on to make over $186 million at the worldwide box-office, thanks in large part to inflated 3D ticket prices, and New Line had no choice but to greenlight a fifth. This, despite the fact the fourth film was easily the weakest of the franchise, slathered with cheap 3D and unoriginal kills,...

Death Has Never Been Closer. New Line is back with another installment in the never-ending—despite the premise—franchise Final Destination. Taking over the reigns on this fourth sequel for his first time as a feature director is Steven Quale, who worked for James Cameron as second-unit director on Avatar and co-directed the 3D Aliens of the Deep IMAX film. His partner in crime is Eric Heisserer, writer of Final Destination 5, who wrote the A Nightmare on Elm Street remake and worked on The Thing prequel. I met up with both Steve and Eric last weekend for a chat about this horror franchise, shooting in 3D, and more. Watch our interview with Final Destination 5 writer Eric Heisserer (L) & director Steve Quale (R): Final Destination 5 was shot in 3D, so I spent a little time focusing on 3D and the filmmaking process, but made sure to ask...

The first preview clip from the fifth installment in the popular Final Destination horror franchise was released a couple weeks ago and it offered a sneak peek at one of the movie's many gruesome deaths. Now, New Line Cinema has released four new preview clips from Final Destination 5, but, instead of revealing some of the innovative deaths awaiting the new characters, the new clips are all about delivering warnings and explaining the basic "rules" that Death follows when trying to balance its books.

Written by Eric Heisserer (A Nightmare on Elm Street) and directed by Steven Quale (Aliens of the Deep), Final Destination 5 follows a group of co-workers who are hunted by Death after they survive a suspension bridge collapse that was supposed to kill them. Tony Todd returns as William Bludworth, joined by newcomers Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell, Arlen Escarpeta and P.J. Byrne, David Koechner.

Next Showing: Final Destination 5 opens Aug.

Warner Bros. has so far aired ten different TV spots for director Steven Quale's (Aliens of the Deep) Final Destination 5 and the last five to air were recently posted online. Written by Eric Heisserer (A Nightmare on Elm Street), the latest movie in the franchise sees a group of co-workers trying to outwit Death at his own game after they cheat fate by surviving a suspension bridge collapse. Each 33-second spot includes a pretty funny punny voiceover and reveals a little about the plot of the movie, with sneak peeks at several of the gruesome deaths in store for some of the latest cast members, including Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell, Arlen Escarpeta, P.J. Byrne, David Koechner. Tony Todd also stars, reprising the role of the mortician Bludworth that he played in Final Destination and Final Destination 2.

Next Showing: Final Destination 5 opens August 12

Link | Posted 8/3/2011 by BrentJS...

If you've ever contemplated having Lasik eye surgery, then you're probably not going to want to watch this gruesome first preview clip from the latest installment in the popular Final Destination horror franchise, Final Destination 5. The movie, directed by Steven Quale (Aliens of the Deep), follows a group of doomed souls as they try to outwit Death itself, which has come to collect after they escape their fated deaths in a suspension bridge collapse.

Written by Eric Heisserer (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Final Destination 5 stars Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell, Arlen Escarpeta, P.J. Byrne, David Koechner, and the only returning cast member, Tony Todd.

Next Showing: Final Destination 5 opens August 12

Final Destination 5 - Trailer

Trailer for Final Destination 5

Link | Posted 7/26/2011 by BrentJS

Final Destination 5...

Steven Quale has served as second unit director on some of the biggest films of all time, most notably James Cameron's Titanic and Avatar. But with Final Destination 5, Quale – who also performed the role of visual effects supervisor on Avatar and directed Aliens of the Deep – comes into his own, helming his first theatrical feature film. I spoke with Quale on the FD5 set last winter. Find out what someone who knows more than a thing or two about first-rate 3D is bringing to the latest Final Destination, after the jump. Could you talk about the importance of the pre-visualization process for Final Destination 5? Quale: Sure. The pre-vis I'm no stranger to. Because on Avatar, we called the process...

It would be miraculous if Final Destination 5 can follow the path of excellent fifth films in franchises this summer. We’ve already had Fast Five and X-Men: First Class, and now James Cameron protege Steven Quale, who was the Avatar visual effects supervisor and second unit director, as well co-director of Aliens of the Deep, has directed this latest installment in the popular horror franchise.

Scripted by Eric Heisserer, who wrote the Nightmare on Elm Street update and the upcoming prequel to The Thing, this latest trailer seems to show too much off. We already got a glimpse at most of the deaths in the teaser, but this adds more as well as revealing more of the opening scene. Starring Emma Bell, Nick D’Agosto, Miles Fisher and Arlen Escarpeta, you can check out the new trailer below.

Synopsis:

Twelve years after the explosion of Flight 180, Sam Lawton (Nicholas...

New Line has now released a second trailer for "Final Destination 5," starring Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell and David Koechner. Check it out below, but be warned... it contains a lot of spoilers. Plot: Death is just as omnipresent as ever, and is unleashed after one man's premonition saves a group of co-workers from a terrifying suspension bridge collapse. But this group of unsuspecting souls was never supposed to survive, and, in a terrifying race against time, the ill-fated group frantically tries to discover a way to escape Death.s sinister agenda. "Final Destination 5" is directed by Steven Quale (Aliens of the Deep) and is set to hit conventional and 3D theaters on August 12th. Trailer: If you cannot see the player, click here. Click here to read more about "Final Destination 5."...

Here is the second trailer for Final Destination 5 directed by Steven Quale and starring Nicholas D’Agosto and Emma Bell. Quale was the second unit director on Avatar and he co-directed Aliens of the Deep with James Cameron. The script was written by Eric Heisserer. He wrote the recent Nightmare on Elm Street and the upcoming prequel to The Thing.

This trailer really creeps me out. I think the eye surgery scene is what does it, that is just a scary thing to have happen. I am interested in seeing this film since I have seen all of the other installments.

Synopsis:

Twelve years after the explosion of Flight 180, Sam Lawton (Nicholas D’Agosto) has a premonition about the bridge he is on collapsing, killing him and many around him. As the vision becomes reality, Sam manages to save himself and a few others. However, Sam and his girlfriend...

New Line has unveiled another poster for the fifth "Final Destination" film, starring Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell and David Koechner. Check it out below. Plot: Death is just as omnipresent as ever, and is unleashed after one man's premonition saves a group of co-workers from a terrifying suspension bridge collapse. But this group of unsuspecting souls was never supposed to survive, and, in a terrifying race against time, the ill-fated group frantically tries to discover a way to escape Death.s sinister agenda. "Final Destination 5" is directed by Steven Quale (Aliens of the Deep) and is set to hit conventional and 3D theaters on August 12th. Poster: (click to enlarge) Click here to read more about "Final Destination 5."...

Today we have a brand new poster for the fifth "Final Destination" film, starring Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell and David Koechner. Check it out below. Plot: Death is just as omnipresent as ever, and is unleashed after one man's premonition saves a group of co-workers from a terrifying suspension bridge collapse. But this group of unsuspecting souls was never supposed to survive, and, in a terrifying race against time, the ill-fated group frantically tries to discover a way to escape Death.s sinister agenda. "Final Destination 5" is directed by Steven Quale (Aliens of the Deep) and is set to hit conventional and 3D theaters on August 12th. Poster: (click to enlarge) Click here to read more about "Final Destination 5."...