“You make a deal between yourself and a work of art to give it your full attention. And you don’t do that when you’re at home,” said James Cameron.
James Cameron says the public doesn’t necessarily do that to have to see Avatar: the way of the water in theaters – a decent home setup will do – but the director strongly recommends buying a ticket to see the epic sequel on the big screen.
Speak with NPR taking audiences on a “new journey” with the highly anticipated 2009 aquatic sequel avatarCameron says that fully enjoying a movie goes much further Where fans are really watching – there are just too many distractions on the small screen.
“If you look way of water home on a decent sized flat screen TV with a decent sound system and you sit close enough and across the room then you have a good experience,” the director shared.
“I think when you start watching something on a phone you kind of miss the point. Going to a movie theater is less about the size of the screen and the perfection of the sound system. It’s more about a decision not to multitask .”
Cameron added that the ability to avoid distractions is key when it comes to an immersive movie experience, likening watching a movie to “making a deal between yourself and a work of art”.
“I think that’s the critical part that people are missing. You make a deal between yourself and a piece of art to give it your full attention. And you don’t do that when you’re at home. People don’t cry as much when they watch a movie at home look like they will in a movie theater. You don’t have the depth of emotion.”
Cameron says Way of Water (finally) gets fans back in the cinema: ‘I’m tired of sitting on my ass’
This isn’t the first time Cameron has called on fans of the sci-fi adventure franchise to sit in theater seats to Avatar: The way of the water.
On the 2023 Golden Globes red carpet, the director expressed his frustration with the continued popularity of streaming in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the film’s shocking success shows audiences are ready to go back to personal experiences.
“We’re back to theaters, people all over the world are going back to theaters. They’re even going to theaters in China where they’re having this huge COVID wave,” Cameron said.
“It’s like saying we need this as a society. We need to go to movie theaters and have that experience. Enough with the streaming! I’m tired of sitting on my ass.”
Avatar: the way of the water is in theaters now, but if you’re not ready to brave the movies just yet, you can still experience the original avatar on Disney+… make sure you put your phone away.