Avatar franchise to include books to expand the world of Pandora!

Taronyu Leleioae · August 22, 2013, 08:27:32 PM

It looks like this is true!

(Was this hinted at during AvatarMeet? This will make the interesting question about "cannon" regarding the world of Pandora.)

http://www.avatarmovie.com/

http://www.deadline.com/2013/08/fox-james-cameron-announce-avatar-novels-based-on-movie-upcoming-sequels/

QuoteLOS ANGELES, August 22, 2013: Filmmaker James Cameron has tapped noted science fiction author Steven Charles Gould (Jumper) to write four stand-alone novels based upon – and expanding — Cameron's history-making 2009 film Avatar, and Cameron's stories for his three upcoming Avatar sequels.

Cameron commented, "Steven Gould is one of the shining lights in contemporary science fiction, and I've long admired the worlds and characters he's created in his books and stories. We're very fortunate to have Steven bring his formidable talents to the Avatar universe. He is already working closely with me and the screenwriters to flesh out the expanding world of Avatar."

While Gould is best known for his 1992 novel Jumper, which Twentieth Century Fox and New Regency turned into a motion picture in 2008, he has been acclaimed for his short fiction, including his Hugo Award-nominated short story "Rory," and the novelette "Peaches for Mad Molly." The latter was also on the shortlist for the Nebula Award. His other novels include Wildside, the Jumper sequel Reflex, 7th Sigma, and Impulse. He is president of the Science Fiction Writers of America.

Kathy Franklin, Lightstorm Entertainment's President of Franchise Development, noted, "The novels are just one example of our commitment to our fans to extend the world of Avatar, in this instance in partnership with Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products."

Cameron also is currently writing the screenplays for the three new Avatar pictures, along with screenwriters Josh Friedman (War of the Worlds), Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver (Rise of the Planets of the Apes) and Shane Salerno (Savages, Salinger).

The sequels will be filmed back-to-back with production beginning next year. The release of the first sequel will be in December 2016, with the second to follow in December 2017, and the third a year later.

Tìtstewan · August 22, 2013, 08:35:52 PM

Fì'u atxantsan nìtxan!!
Irayo ma Taronyu Leleioae!

Taronyu Leleioae · August 22, 2013, 08:50:59 PM

One of the exciting benefits to this announcement, is that creating a book series will reach out and engage many more people globally. This different medium (printed and likely digital books) will bring new interest to Avatar from many people who have never seen the film, nor experienced its impact (on many) to engage one's spirit and what we do to our world. How many people worldwide do not have access to movie theaters or even DVD's due to cost and availability?

Perhaps even more relevant, is that such books will generate more interest in all things Na'vi, including the language.
Thus, this will help generate future interest at that time when both the future films, and now books, will be released.

Tìtstewan · August 22, 2013, 08:55:53 PM

Quote from: Taronyu Leleioae on August 22, 2013, 08:50:59 PM
How many people worldwide do not have access to movie theaters or even DVD's due to cost and availability?

That depends, which technologyand the money they have, I think. And what goverment...

Quote from: Taronyu Leleioae on August 22, 2013, 08:50:59 PM
Perhaps even more relevant, is that such books will generate more interest in all things Na'vi, including the language.
Thus, this will help generate future interest at that time when both the future films, and now books, will be released.

Fì'u. Well, and with a bigger interest (also in the language), possibly more members here?!

Kamean · August 23, 2013, 02:06:20 PM

Wou - txantsan!

Blue Elf · August 23, 2013, 03:29:51 PM

Good to hear this! I think I buy them all. Even better would be to release some Na'vi textbook (well, there's KP's Learn Na'vi easy way workbook, but we need more).

Kamean · August 23, 2013, 03:53:13 PM

QuoteI think I buy them all.

I - too.

Vawmataw · August 23, 2013, 05:16:05 PM

QuoteI think I buy them all.

Me too.

CyanRachel · August 23, 2013, 06:38:01 PM

Oh wow...this is awesome news!
So exciting! Can't wait for these novels to be published!

Ricardo · August 24, 2013, 03:43:33 PM

I only want this one.

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110123213437/jamescameronsavatar/images/1/18/TheNavicover.png

`Eylan Ayfalulukanä · August 24, 2013, 05:52:41 PM

I want that one, too. (I wonder who Phred Palmer is, though.)

But what does everyone think? Will nt novels free us, in terms of how we use the Na'vi language, or box us in? I wonder if the community will somehow be able to be involed in such a way that we don't suddenly find every assumption we have is wrong. That would be kawng nìwotx!

Blue Elf · August 25, 2013, 02:23:33 PM

Quote from: `Eylan Ayfalulukanä on August 24, 2013, 05:52:41 PM
I want that one, too. (I wonder who Phred Palmer is, though.)

But what does everyone think? Will nt novels free us, in terms of how we use the Na'vi language, or box us in? I wonder if the community will somehow be able to be involed in such a way that we don't suddenly find every assumption we have is wrong. That would be kawng nìwotx!

Well, at this time it is not possible to repeat the mistake as ASG was created. There are many people who know Na'vi quite well and wrong language usage would make the angry.

`Eylan Ayfalulukanä · August 26, 2013, 03:35:13 PM

I'm not thinking so much that the Na'vi language will be used incorrectly, as I think we may learn some things about Na'vi culture that will invalidate some of the ways we have traditionally used the language.

In the most extreme case, this could mark the beginning of a long theorized split, where we end up with 'Classical Na'vi' (Limited to the world in the films/stories) and 'Modern Na'vi' that, even if it does not incorporate modern terminology, reflects adaptations to the language that make it useful in our culture.

Plumps · September 06, 2013, 05:59:23 AM

And here it is from the author himself

http://eatourbrains.com/steve/?p=1193

I haven't read anything from him, only seen the movie Jumper but reading into the themes of his novels and short stories I see why Cameron chose him

Tìtstewan · September 06, 2013, 01:32:30 PM

Fì'u eltur tìtxen si nìtxan!

Plumps · September 06, 2013, 02:14:31 PM

I know ... I'm really looking forward to this. This can get either really cool or really bad. The way I understand it, though, is that the 4 novels will be novelizations of the movies, right?

Btw,

Quote from: Tìtstewan on September 06, 2013, 01:32:30 PM
Fì'u lu eltur tìtxen si nìtxan!

eltur tìtxen si is already the verb

no lu necessary.

Tìtstewan · September 06, 2013, 02:29:32 PM

Quote from: Plumps on September 06, 2013, 02:14:31 PM
The way I understand it, though, is that the 4 novels will be novelizations of the movies, right?

Maybe not only the movies?
Krrìl tsat wayìntxu.

Quote from: Plumps on September 06, 2013, 02:14:31 PMBtw,
Quote from: Tìtstewan on September 06, 2013, 01:32:30 PM
Fì'u lu eltur tìtxen si nìtxan!
eltur tìtxen si is already the verb no lu necessary.

D'oh! Fixed!

archaic · September 29, 2013, 05:01:29 PM

Quote from: `Eylan Ayfalulukanä on August 24, 2013, 05:52:41 PM
I wonder who Phred Palmer is, though.

Phred Palmer:= Props buyer for, among other things, Avatar.

Imbd full cast and crew of Avatar here .....
Imbd Phred Palmer here .....

On a purely selfish/practical note, Avatar is a nice subject for fanfic, limited amount of research required, one movie, plus one ASG which you can get away with ignoring if/when you want to.
Where as, something like How to Train Your Dragon, at one movie, two TV series, ~~plus ten books!~~ Book eleven (How to Betray a Dragon's Hero) came out September 27th. So if you want to write an HtTYD fanfic and want to keep true to the (mutually incompatible) canon, it's more time consuming undertaking.