Summary
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James Cameron revolutionized CGI in films, setting the precedent for using computer-generated characters and scenes in
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
. -
True Lies
marked the first-ever film with a budget of $100 million, showcasing Cameron’s ability to make the most of a high-budget production. -
Titanic
became the first film to cross $1 billion at the box office, and both
Titanic
and
Avatar
are among the few films to have ever crossed the $2 billion mark, solidifying Cameron’s status as a director with unparalleled financial success.
James Cameron has had an incredible impact on Hollywood through his innovation which led him to shatter box office records and change how films are made. Hollywood is full of creatives with wild imaginations that help to move the entertainment industry further and further along. Christopher Nolan, Greta Gerwig, the Russo Brothers, and the Wachowski sisters have all contributed to massive events in cinema through their work, but James Cameron’s movies stand out for his considerable contributions.
With incredibly well-made and executed films like Titanic and Avatar, James Cameron shattered records for box office earnings. But it isn’t just the money his films have made that has made an impact on Hollywood, he also pioneered larger and larger film budgets, implementation of CGI and its development, and other techniques that were not widely used before his work. Cameron has continued to inspire and change the game when it comes to Hollywood and creating impactful and impressive movies in general.
8 First Major Blockbuster Character By CGI
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
James Cameron paved the way for having characters in feature films made with CGI. T-1000, the main antagonist in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, is played by Robert Patrick, but large portions of the characters’ scenes were entirely made with computer-generated images. This film came two years before the release of the World Wide Web which made the internet accessible to the general public without in-depth computer skills. Cameron managed CGI effectively which continues to look and feel impressive even when compared to modern CGI on a lower budget.
7 First Budget oOf $100 Million
True Lies (1994)
Modern films from big-budget studios are increasingly surpassing the $100 million dollar mark for budgets, but in 1994, no film had ever been created with a budget that large until True Lies. James Cameron directed this groundbreaking project and cast major stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis to ensure the project would appeal to a wider audience and recover the investment. True Lies is an action/spy/comedy film packed with elements to make it appeal as broadly as possible.
The budget was used to acquire the top-billing cast and pack the film with action scenes, chases with costly vehicles, incredible set design, and special effects. However, Cameron also ensured it was used wisely to make the most of the nine-figure budget and deliver something special and entertaining. The film made almost four times the original budget which meant it was a success, but this was dwarfed by Cameron’s next milestone in Hollywood.
6 First Budget Of $200 Million
Titanic (1997)
In 1997, Titanic was released in theaters and quickly gained critical acclaim for almost every element. The film has earned eleven Oscar wins, and since its release, it has earned more than $2 billion at the box office, making it one of the most successful films of all time. Titanic held first place on the top gross box office list from its release in 1997 until Cameron’s Avatar was released in 2009 and claimed the top spot. The budget for the project was over $200 million, doubling that of True Lies just three years earlier and paving the way for even larger budgets in Hollywood.
This money was put to good use not only by casting talent like Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, but also by building a scale set of the original ship that is the film’s namesake. The team also researched the original shipwreck by manning a submarine down to the site of the shipwreck and even shot footage that was included in the film. This further showcased Cameron’s ability to use a budget to its maximum potential and led to the creation of a timeless film that continues to perform incredibly with every re-release in theaters.
5 First Movie To Cross $1 Billion At The Box Office
Titanic (1997)
Titanic was initially released in late 1997 and quickly became a smash hit, not only doubling its revolutionary $200 million budget, but turning an unprecedented profit. The film was the top-performing movie in theaters for a consecutive 15 weeks (via Box Office Mojo), and just 74 days after its release, it shattered previous records at the box office by becoming the first film ever to cross $1 billion. Titanic continued to play in theaters around the US for just over a year with 54 weeks, which is a feat that has only been claimed by a small handfull of films.
4 First And Second Movie To Cross $2 Billion At The Box Office
Titanic (1997) and Avatar (2009)
Regarding the box office success of both Titanic and Avatar, they shattered previous records and proved that Cameron is among the most bankable directors in Hollywood today. Titanic went on to have several theatrical re-releases in the years after the film’s 1997 premiere. The second time it was widely released in theaters was in 2012 to celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary, and it was during this re-release that it crossed over the $2 billion dollar threshold. However, Titanic missed out on being the first film to reach this milestone thanks to another of Cameron’s projects, Avatar.
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In 2009, Cameron knocked Titanic from its first-place position as the highest-grossing film of all time with the release of the groundbreaking Avatar. The film employed cutting-edge technology and techniques to create something which broke the mold for 3D films. Avatar managed to cross the $2 billion dollar mark in a significantly shorter period than it took Titanic to cross $1 billion, reaching the milestone after just 47 days in theaters (via CNET).
3 James Cameron Has Directed Half Of All The Movies Ever To Reach $2 Billion
Titanic (1997), Avatar (2009), and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Not only has James Cameron’s streak of creating movies like Avatar 2 that gross more than $2 billion at the box office been an incredibly singular achievement, but he is responsible for half of the films to have ever had such significant takings. Since Avatar and then Titanic crossed the record box office figure, only three other films have ever reached the same milestone, and each of those were a part of a franchise which had several projects released prior.
Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame managed to crack $2 billion, but Cameron’s achievement remains unique as both Avatar and Titanic were unique properties rather than leaning on an existing IP. Avatar: The Way of Water is a sequel, but only the second entry in its franchise. With Avatar‘s three additional sequels still on the way, Cameron is expected to extend his lead with $2 billion-earning movies.
2 Revolutionizing 3D Filmmaking
Avatar (2009)
Avatar is a film with dozens of landscapes, characters, and creatures that exist wholly in computer-generated images. In order to shoot the project and bring the Na’vi to life, Cameron had to employ innovative techniques such as attaching a camera to actors’ heads to capture an extreme close-up of their faces throughout their performances and recreate their every expression and movement digitally. Cameron also used modified equipment like the Fusion cameras which he developed with Vince Pace to shoot footage in native 3D and create the foundation for Pandora and create an entirely new world.
These techniques and equipment went on to be the foundation for how people develop characters with CGI with motion capture. As a result of his efforts with Avatar in 2009, CGI took massive leaps forward. And his technical innovations for filming don’t stop there.
1 Major Leaps In Underwater Filming
Avatar: Way of the Water (2022)
The sequel to the initial Avatar film was announced in 2010 shortly after the film was released, however, it wasn’t released until more than a decade later in 2022. The gap was longer than expected, but Cameron was able to employ new techniques and build on the refinement of earlier processes that had been done in that period. One major innovation existed in that Cameron did a large amount of filming actors and sets underwater for Avatar: The Way of Water.
Beyond just having the actors learn to breathe for long periods beneath the water, using water-adapted mocap suits instead of wire suspension allowed them to have more realistic and fluid underwater movements. The crew also developed methods to build large sets that could be easily maneuvered and lowered into the water to have the cast interact with them. These set designs and the ability to adjust them to such a degree meant the project had a greater degree of realism, despite the otherworldly setting. As a result, director James Cameron’s innovation, creativity, and vision have certainly changed the landscape in Hollywood both behind the scenes and on the screen.
Sources: Box Office Mojo, CNET
