Is James Cameron Now the Most Powerful?

[Frontier]

James Cameron has always made good movies. Even his 'bad' movies where good by comparison to most director's 'bad' movies. He originated the Terminator, made perhaps the greatest action film of all time with T2, and made himself the god of the box office with Titanic.

Now, after a virtual 12 years of relative inactivity (he produced Dark Angel, did a few other things, Titanic documentary and such) he's come back with Avatar. The most expensive film ever made, taking perhaps the longest of any film to make to date, and it's breaking box office records. Even if it doesn't feel like it's making as much change as other films domestic, it's done $400 million in 4 weeks on that front, and it's international is even better.

While a lot of greats have a longer track record of success - Spielberg, Lucas, et cetera - Cameron has achieved a degree of financial and critical security for a film under his name that perhaps outshines the others. Perhaps it doesn't.

If you had to rate the most powerful director/creator though in Hollywood... the one who could approach any given film studio with a crazy idea and get it financed... who would be at the top of that? Would it be Cameron? Lucas? Spielberg?

 

[Caliburn24]

Lucas, because he owns ILM. I remember reading about The Phantom Menace before it was released and how basically the movie would have cost anyone else four times as much to make, but because Lucas could do it in-house so to speak it was far, far cheaper.

But really Cameron, Lucas and Spielberg can make whatever they want these days. Peter Jackson probably also belongs in that camp.

 

[Jax]

James Cameron has always been what Michael Bay wants to be IMO. I don't have the same hatred for Bay as others but he and Cameron normally prefer a more visual experience than a plot driven story...

Titanic's plot was a basic love story but the look and feel of how Cameron handled the sinking of Titanic made the movie into a worldwide success. Avatar has a plot which pushes no boundaries but visually its creates a new landmark for all films to follow and is the reason why its set to surpass Titanic.

Aliens, T-1 & T-2 biggest selling points are the action and how well it looks and is directed. Those 3 movies are probably the strongest Cameron movies in terms of plot but then again there are plot holes in the T-Movies but still they are wonderful movies.

Cameron has never made a trilogy and it looks like he wants Avatar to be that crowning jewel to maybe end his box office career on, he has nothing to prove and has never been too fussed with making movies every 2/3 years.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Powerful? Probably not in reality, although he may still think he's "king of the world".

 

[T'Baio]

I love it when people say he's been relatively inactive since Titanic. The guy's just done a TV show, made at least three major documentaries, produced one of the best hard science fiction films of this decade, had almost a 50% stake in inventing new 3D camera systems and new monitor technology to see how your 3D/CGI film will look in real time on set and pushed for further integration and adoption of 3D projecting technology in the theater business, all while making Avatar.

Jeez...what's your definition of busy?

 

[Kegg]

I love it when people say he's been relatively inactive since Titanic.

Alright. He's done nothing big or particularly successful. Happy? Dark Angel and filming some underwater videos is not the thing that waves are made of.

 

[T'Baio]

You're right...developing major 3D production technology and leading the charge of encouraging distributors and theaters to take up the new 3D technology, which in itself has lead to a major boon in 3D hardware, such as networks wanting to broadcast in 3D and electronics manufacturers creating 3D televisions, all which can be traced back to the rallying cry of Cameron when production started on Avatar is not making waves at all.

Not to mention that, while it wasn't financially successful and is undoubtedly controversial in the geek circles, producing Solaris, one of the best hard sci-fi movies of the past decade, IMO.

 

[Plomeek Broth]

He ain't got nuttin' on Uwe Boll.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I love it when people say he's been relatively inactive since Titanic.

And I love it when people say anything the guy does is any good.

To each their own.

 

[LitmusDragon]

Why does this thread make me picture James Cameron as some kind of sith lord?

Cameron: If you strike me down I will become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.

 

[Kegg]

You're right...

Thank you.

developing major 3D production technology and leading the charge of encouraging distributors and theaters to take up the new 3D technology,

That's Avatar. You can't cite Avatar as an example of something non-Avatar he's been doing, the centre does not hold.

 

[bigdaddy]

Avatar isn't the most expensive movie ever, do people no understand inflation?

 

[Jax]

Avatar isn't the most expensive movie ever, do people no understand inflation?

Tomato, Tomatoe

go spill milk in another thread

 

[Yoda]

Well, money is power and man does James Cameron know how to make money on a film. Just looking at his IMDB, he didn't crank out a lot of stinkers. I think that it's a fair statement to say that James Cameron has the most power to secure a budget to make his vision.

 

[Data Holmes]

I have a question about him, on Avatar was his pay mostly upfront, or was it a small upfront with a large back end point deal? Does anyone know?

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

I love it when people say he's been relatively inactive since Titanic. The guy's just done a TV show, made at least three major documentaries, produced one of the best hard science fiction films of this decade, had almost a 50% stake in inventing new 3D camera systems and new monitor technology to see how your 3D/CGI film will look in real time on set and pushed for further integration and adoption of 3D projecting technology in the theater business, all while making Avatar.

Jeez...what's your definition of busy?

All of that plus directing three of four more feature films over the last decade. That would fit the definition of "busy" for a director of his stature. Cameron does great work, and I give him props for it, but he's never been prolific.

 

[Teelie]

As far as directors with power go, I do agree George Lucas is probably top dog but James Cameron would be a close second or third, right alongside Spielberg. Cameron hasn't made a film I can think of that's been a flop financially or been considered bad by the general public.

 

[Thespeckledkiwi]

Spielberg? Some of the best movies came from Spielberg.

 

[FordSVT]

I'm not sure what "best" is supposed to mean, I'm not even sure how you'd quantify it. Cameron's in a small camp of directors and producers that can get any funding they want for any movie they happen to want to make. None of them are any more "powerful" than the others, they're not the Stonecutters.

The most powerful people in the industry are the investors you've never heard of and the studio heads who financially back these pictures. People like Spielberg and Lucas and Cameron are seperated from "mortal" directors by their ability to fund move projects partially or in totality by themselves or through the companies they own. Guillermo del Toro is a great director who makes people money, but he can't back a $150 million movie out of his own pocket.

 

[TheMasterOfOrion]

Even his 'bad' movies where good by comparison to most director's 'bad' movies.

Rent Piranha 2 The Spawning, seriously you will be forced to eat your hat