T H E M E PA R K U P DAT E
W
alt Disney Imagineering,
in collaboration with
filmmaker
James
Cameron and Lightstorm
Entertainment, is next
year bringing to life the
mythical world of Pandora, inspired by
Cameron’s AVATAR, at Disney’s Animal
Kingdom theme park. The awe-inspiring
land of floating mountains, bioluminescent
forests and soaring winged creatures
known as Banshees will become real for
Disney guests to see, hear and touch;
giving parkgoers a transformational
experience they will never forget.
Disney has partnered with Cameron and
producing partner Jon Landau to create a
12-acre themed land which will give guests
the opportunity to explore the mysterious
universe of AVATAR first hand. With
its emphasis on living in harmony with
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nature, Animal Kingdom is a natural fit
for the AVATAR stories, which share the
same philosophy. Construction is well
underway, having commenced in 2013.
“AVATAR created a world which audiences
can discover again and again and now,
through this incredible partnership with
Disney, we’ll be able to bring Pandora to life
like never before. With two new AVATAR
films currently in development, we’ll
have even more locations, characters and
stories to explore,” said James Cameron.
“This exciting venture combines the world
of AVATAR with the enormous reach of
Disney and the incomparable talent of
Jim Cameron,” commented Fox Filmed
Entertainment chairmen Jim Gianopulos
and Tom Rothman. “While Jim is bringing
audiences further into Pandora with the
next two chapters in the AVATAR motion
SEPTEMBER 2016
picture saga, the theme park attraction
will likewise bring a new dimension
to the amazing universe he created.”
“AVATAR is a uniquely powerful franchise
that has global appeal with audiences of
all ages. Its spectacular settings, intriguing
characters, imaginative creatures, and
strong themes of family and loyalty
make it a perfect fit for Disney,” said
Thomas O. Staggs, Chairman, Walt
Disney Parks and Resorts. “We can’t wait
to give our guests the ability to journey
to Pandora and explore the incredible
immersive world of AVATAR in person.”
In addition to setting a global box office
record, AVATAR has been hailed as
one of the most innovative and visually
stunning movies ever produced. With its
advanced motion capture and 3-D digital
projection technologies developed by