James Cameron: August 21 is Free 'Avatar' Day

Earlier this week, in a discussion about something else entirely here at The Big Picture, the subject of Avatar's marketplace viability came up. There is so much build-up for this within the community that's attending ComiC Con this week and sci-fi fans in general. But does that audience cover a lot more ground? We haven't seen enough to say one way or the other, but long, 3-D, interplanetary...it's not the easiest way to make half a billion dollars. 20th Century Fox and James Cameron are apparently keenly aware of a possible issue with selling this expensive, experimental film to the widest audience possible; make no mistake, with a budget in the $200 million range, the studio wants the widest audience possible. So yesterday on the stage at Comic Com, Cameron made a special announcement, which was transcribed by /film:

"We’re going to do something unprecedented. It’s a social marketing experiment. We’re going to take over as many IMAX 3D theaters and other select 3D theaters worldwide on August 21 and we’re going to let an international global audience come see 15 minutes of Avatar for free. It’s going to be Avatar day."

This is, quite simply, a brilliant decision. The movie will never be afforded the proper justice by watching trailers on your computer or on TV. The only way to truly see what Cameron has done is to see it in 3-D. Whether or not the film is great, Cameron can pick 15 of the best minutes of his film, show it for free (which should open itself up to people less willing to spend $10 - $12 on a ticket), and give that promotion the chance to build buzz, even among audiences that may not have been looking forward to Avatar for one reason or another. It's exactly what this movie needs, and I can't think of a better way to go about it. It's still summer, so the younger audience won't have as many obligations as they would in October or November, and because it's late August, there's no other reason to go to a theater. This is a really good scenario for Cameron and his labor of love. We'll give you a rundown of theaters as soon it's released.

Comments

[Lengthy Johnson]

See, I believe you had Mr Cameron underestimated.

If the film is what Cameron and Spielberg and Soderberg and Jackson (...) say it is, then this stunt is going to generate tons of talk and hype.

[SEAN]

YES YES YES

What a brilliant move, James Cameron is the KING!!!

I cant wait to see whats in store

[cyzio]

where are the frigin' details? :O