Avatar Update

Yesterday a small 4GB memory stick arrived at the cinema from 20th Century Fox. It contained the extended AVATAR trailer, and we quickly popped it on the server. Our projectionist Adam turned the lights down and started it.

The trailer is about two minutes long, and very impressive. Of course, this was in 2D, so the full effect of the 3D was not obvious, but Cameron has clearly constructed a fully-fledged universe for the film, with green and blue skinned creatures, spectacular spaceships and robots, and some awesome action scenes. Whether any of this will carry any dramatic or narrative weight we'll have to see the film to find out.

Tomorrow, thousands of people will get a chance to see about 20 minutes of footage of the film at selecte cinemas across the country, in what Fox are calling 'Avatar Day'. Don't bother; all the tickets are gone. This is a bold, unprecedented move, which shows that the studio has confidence in the film and hopes that the footage will build positive word of mouth - a full three months ahead of release.

It is certainly building press attention, as yet another 'the future is 3D' piece runs in the Guardian today. For most of us, 18th December is the date to find out whether this is the revolutionary film that will be a 'game changer' as Jon Favreau calls it, or the new Phantom Menace - a big, awful dissapointing mess.