Avatar: The Way of Water Was Even Longer Before Gun Violence Scenes Were Edited Out

Filmmaker James Cameron made a name for himself with projects like The Terminator and Aliens, both of which are considered examples of the best sci-fi/action films in cinematic history, though with Avatar: The Way of Water, Cameron revealed that he’s cut way back on the inclusion of firearms, even excising 10 minutes from the film involving the weapons. While a key theme of the Avatar films is the conflict between species that embrace the natural beauty of their home world and invaders attempting to colonize and control them, Cameron ultimately found other routes to convey these ideas that didn’t require focusing on firearms. Avatar: The Way of Water is in theaters now.

“I actually cut about 10 minutes of the movie targeting gunplay action,” Cameron shared with Esquire Middle East. “I wanted to get rid of some of the ugliness, to find a balance between light and dark. You have to have conflict, of course. Violence and action are the same thing, depending on how you look at it. This is the dilemma of every action filmmaker, and I’m known as an action filmmaker.”

In the ’80s and ’90s, few filmmakers were as acclaimed for their explosive action sequences as Cameron, though after the development of Titanic, Cameron seemed to make a major pivot both personally and cinematically. The development of both that film and Avatar saw Cameron connect much more strongly with the natural world, investing in various philanthropic efforts and embracing a vegan diet, with his current mindset standing in contrast to his earlier artistic perspectives.

“I look back on some films that I’ve made, and I don’t know if I would want to make that film now. I don’t know if I would want to fetishize the gun, like I did on a couple of Terminator movies 30-plus years ago, in our current world. What’s happening with guns in our society turns my stomach,” the filmmaker added. “I’m happy to be living in New Zealand where they just banned all assault rifles two weeks after that horrific mosque shooting a couple of years ago.”

While Cameron himself cut footage of gun use, even trailers for the film underwent alterations, as those shown in front of Disney’s Lightyear had select scenes featuring guns altered to have them removed.

Avatar: The Way of Water is in theaters now.

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