Steve Newall: Flicks.co.nz editor ahead of the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash

James Cameron’s third instalment of the hugely successful Avatar franchise could be his last.

The Hollywood director's latest film - Avatar: Fire and Ash - premiered in Wellington yesterday, and is scheduled to release worldwide next week.

But Cameron says its future remains unclear, with consumer tastes changing, and better rebate schemes for studios overseas.

Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall reveals what we know so far.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News Talks, EDB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Entertainment Time Now and Steve Neil joins me, good morning,
Good morning. Okay, so this isn't I always I think
I'm repeating myself because I say this time of the
year every year, But going into summer and the Christmas
break and over New Year, there are some really amazing
films being released, basically because we're starting to kind of

(00:33):
get ready for the Oscars and everybody wants the Golden
Globe and Oscar nominees to sort of nominations to be
released around this time of the year. So there's so
much to choose from. But on Thursday, Avatar is being
released in New Zealand. Which number is.

Speaker 3 (00:46):
As number three? Number three Avatar, Fire and Ash is
the full title of this one. And look, anyone listening
in Wellington, I'm sure is extremely aware that the premiere
was held yesterday and in fact, you know, it's plastered
all over the media. You can't miss the fact that
that New Zealand's hosted this New Zealand production.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
Oh it takes back to the Lord of the Rings day.

Speaker 3 (01:07):
I think that there's definitely definitely a bit of an
effort to rekindle some of that feeling. Although you know,
there's really a big difference between how Peter Jackson realized
that he could build a film franchise using locations just
in one country versus James Cameron. Maybe a bit more
of a technological approach, like harnessing New Zille's technology more

(01:29):
than its landscapes. I don't know if you'd really say,
beyond the people working on it and the skills, I
don't know if you'd necessarily say, see a lot of
on the screen and Avatar, as you do in Lord
of the Rings. But I'm interested to see the film.
If I had attended the premiere, I would either be
calling and very sleepy from Wellington or just absence. So
I haven't had the chance to see it. Hopefully I'll

(01:51):
get the chance to see it this week and we
can have a chat about it next k yeesh.

Speaker 2 (01:54):
It's staring to haven't done any previous screenings for it
that I know of anyway, which is unusual a specially
because as I said before, there are so many, you know,
amazing films coming out in the next couple of weeks.

Speaker 3 (02:04):
Totally. I think obviously that the track record of Cameron
kind of speaks for itself. He's responsible for three of
the four highest grossing films of all time. Everyone, I
guess everyone knows what Avatar is. So yeah, it's a
lot's changed between the releases of the films in the
series done, and I think, you know, even since twenty two,

(02:26):
the film landscapes changing. There's you know, all the sort
of Netflix stuff we're talking about with Warner Brothers purchase
and just the dominance of streaming of a theatrical that
keeps getting talked about. As Cameron told The New Zealand Herald,
I can't even tell you that there will be another
Avatar film. That business model itself may have collapsed, he
continued to the Herald. Everybody's belt tightening right now because

(02:49):
the theatrical marketplace has reduced by about a third. That's
a big deal. So big films like Avatar aren't getting
greenlit as I understand it. They shot a lot of
Avatar for concurrently with this production, but it's already going
to rest on its box office performance before they are
set in motion the next film because so much of
the costers and actually what happens after they've shot the shot.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
The actors well, very exciting. Number three out.

Speaker 3 (03:13):
Absolutely Now Cameron is looking forward to Christmas, so he's
because there isn't Avatar for Greenlit yet. Now he's, once
he's done the promotional stuff, is technically out of a job.
He told the Herald he's having Christmas in Colorado, and
then he says, hopefully get back in time for the
back half of the beautiful New Zealand summer here, which
I'm sure we'll enjoy on our farm and the wider upper.
I'm just going to take it easy for a little

(03:34):
while I'm unemployed and I'm enjoying it. Go unemployment during.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
The summer, I say, exactly, exactly. Hey, there's a new
mysterious Spielberg movie that's been teased on billboards.

Speaker 3 (03:47):
Speaking of sci fi masters, Spielberg's back next year with
a film called All Will Be Disclosed. It's kind of
mist All Will Be Disclosed. It's a UFO film. He's
come up with the story, so it's kind of his idea.

(04:07):
The billboards feature, I mean, there's a lot being read
at It's like an image. It's a bit mysterious. People
trying to figure out what it means. You could say
like it looks a little bit like one of those
gray aliens from twentieth century, sort of alien mythology. But
mid next year we're getting a film. John Williams is
doing the score. So it's kind of liked. But it
doesn't seem like it's close encounters that it feels like

(04:28):
it's a bit more of the sinister sci fi buzz.
Cast is awesome, Emily Blunt, Colin Firth, Josh O'Connor, who
you can see in the fantastic New Knives Out film
which is hit Netflix this weekend, Wyatt Russell, Common Domingo,
and Evan Huston. We don't really know much more. It's
an ad. We're on the radio about a billboard ad,

(04:49):
but it as a Spielberg billboard so it worked.

Speaker 1 (04:51):
It's done its job.

Speaker 3 (04:53):
Damn you, Hollywood. I've done it again.

Speaker 2 (04:55):
Hey, and thank you very much for the recommendation for
Wake Up dead Men, which is the new Knives Out
the Street. It's been in cinemas hit Netflix this weekend.
We had a movie night last night and watched it
and absolutely loved it. I like it more than the
second one. I really into it.

Speaker 3 (05:09):
It's a really strong edition. I think he's broadening what
these films are. Each one's got its own distinct flavor. Hey,
speaking of distinct flavors very quickly. This is a recommendation
not for the faint of heart. But this morning on
Neon I watched comedy special from Sarah Squirm aka Sarah Sherman.
She's one of the cast members of SNL. She's got
this like real real line and gross out comedy and

(05:31):
particularly about the female body. So we've seen this stuff
from male comedians for young's but she's look, let's put
it this way. John Waters introduces the special, so it's
in that kind of category. On Neil. You can watch
it Sarah Squirm live and in the flesh. Don't watch
it with your kids or your parents.

Speaker 2 (05:49):
Okay, but you it.

Speaker 3 (05:51):
You might better to watch it with your partner. Maybe not.
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (05:53):
Good advice. I appreciate that. Thank you so much. Stay
will get up next week.

Speaker 1 (05:58):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudken. Listen
live to News Talks it'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on Hard Radio.