Skip to main content

James Cameron buys 50 Red Epic-M cameras, probably for Avatar sequels

james-cameronJames Cameron seems to be getting himself set before he goes into production on the next Avatar movie. A pair of upcoming sequels to the 2009 sci-fi hit were confirmed late last year, with stated plans to drop Avatar 2 in 2014 and Avatar 3 in 2015. He shot the initial movie using a set of Sony HD cameras and, for the 3D, a modified version of the 3D digital Fusion Camera System, which he developed with Vince Pace. It seems he might be going with one of the increasingly popular offerings from Jim Jannard’s Red Digital Cinema Camera Company for the two sequels.

In a brief post on the company’s REDUSER discussion forums, Jannard wrote: “Jim Cameron buys… 50 EPIC-Ms. An official announcement to follow.” That announcement hasn’t yet followed, but the purpose of the purchase, part of it anyway, seems clear enough. Maybe Cameron has big plans for a relative’s upcoming wedding, but the more likely conclusion here is that he intends to use some or all of these cameras for the Avatar sequels.

Cameron picked up Red’s Epic-M cameras, which are reported to run for roughly $58,000 apiece. They shoot at a 5K resolution — the top of what’s out there right now — which means that when Avatar: The Big Huge Special Edition Trilogy box set comes out for whatever the reigning high-def home video format will be in 2020, it won’t look like crap on your futureTV.

Cameron joins a small yet growing group of other filmmakers who will be the first to make magic happen with Red’s Epic-M line. Peter Jackson nabbed 30 of them for his upcoming two-part telling of The Hobbit. Steven Soderbergh used them for his 2011-releasing ensemble action flick Contagion. Red will also be used for Ridley Scott‘s Alien prequel/spin-off/whatever Prometheus and Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Adam Rosenberg
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…
The 10 most popular movies on Netflix right now
A woman stands in front of microphones with a man clapping behind her.

Netflix is one of the most popular streaming services in the world, with nearly 250 million subscribers. And just what do those people tend to watch? In particular, what is the most popular movie on Netflix? Each week, the streaming service releases a list of its 10 most-watched movies over a recent seven-day period to keep subscribers in the loop regarding its most popular titles.

Lindsay Lohan's Irish Wish has won over the hearts of Netflix subscribers as it moved into the top spot, with Damsel falling to No. 2. One of the notable debuts this week is Shirley, a biopic about the groundbreaking politician Shirley Chisholm, played here by Oscar winner Regina King. Below, we've listed the top 10 movies in the U.S. from March 18 to March 24, along with general information about each film, such as genre, rating, cast, and synopsis.

Read more
10 best R-rated movies streaming right now
A woman and her child stands next to a dead body in Anatomy of a Fall.

R-rated movies are typically expected by audiences to push the boundaries of what can be depicted on the big screen. Whether it's gory horror movies or steamy erotic thrillers, these movies were designed specifically to get an "R" rating and be shown primarily to adults.

From modern masterpieces like Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer to classics like Alien, some of the best R-rated movies ever made are available to stream on different platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Max. With bold narratives and unfiltered realism, these are great picks for an enjoyable movie night among adult friends.

Read more
Stop! Watch these Netflix movies before March 2024 ends
Robert Pattinson in The Batman.

One of the blessings of streaming services like Netflix is that, in addition to their libraries of original titles, they also have titles that come and go on a regular basis. While the introduction of new titles is always nice, the downside is that titles usually leave the service when new ones join.

As March turns into April, we're going to lose some genuinely great movies on Netflix. While you still have time, though, you should check these three very different movies out.
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore - Original Theatrical Trailer

Read more