James Cameron to use Weta Digital for next film

August 4, 2006

James Cameron, director of the $1.8 billion grossing film, Titanic, has signed up special effects studio, Weta Digital of Wellington, New Zealand for his next sci-fi film, Avatar.

Weta Digital, owned by Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor and Jamie Selkirk, will provide the visual effects, of which the movie will be mostly of, excluding some action shots in the USA, for the NZ$322 million film. The visual effects will also include performance capture animation where the actors movements are translated onto an animated character. Weta Digital is famous for this with characters Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and King Kong in King Kong modelled after actor Andy Serkis.

The reason that Cameron chose Weta Digital over other special effects studios is "Weta have proven themselves a leader in visionary effects. Along with their world-class capability comes a genuine passion to blaze new trails." Cameron said.

Cameron also added that "We may end up with stars in Avatar but it's not a requirement."

The Avatar film is a movie about a war veteran that is fighting aliens on other planets. The movie will be launched in 2008.