MOVIE NEWS – According to James Cameron, science fiction still has no real place in the world of the Oscars. The legendary director believes the Academy consistently overlooks the genre, even when its works achieve huge audience and critical success. Cameron used Denis Villeneuve as an example to explain why he feels sci-fi starts at a disadvantage.
Regarding the premiere of his latest film, Avatar: Fire and Ash, James Cameron spoke with journalist Barry Hertz for The Globe and Mail, where the topic of the Oscars and the Academy’s attitude also came up. Cameron said he consciously does not make films to suit Oscar tastes and does not pay much attention to awards season. In his view, the Academy tends to ignore science fiction, and productions such as the Avatar films are rarely truly acknowledged.
The director cited Denis Villeneuve’s case as an example, whom he holds in especially high regard as a fellow Canadian creator. According to Cameron, Villeneuve made two extremely large-scale Dune films, yet it seems as if they were “made by themselves,” since neither the Academy nor even the Directors Guild nominated him in the Best Director category. Cameron put it this way: creators can choose whether to engage in the award-season games or make films that people actually go to the cinema for.
The first Dune, released in 2021, received a total of ten Oscar nominations, yet Denis Villeneuve’s name was not among the Best Director nominees. The same happened with Dune: Part Two, which received five nominations but again saw the director excluded from directorial recognition. Cameron believes this illustrates the long-standing bias against the sci-fi genre.
Does Avatar 3 Have a Shot at the Oscars?
James Cameron’s latest film, Avatar: Fire and Ash, is already running in theaters at a time when more and more people are questioning the franchise’s momentum. Some invoke Cameron’s alleged “inability” to make films shorter than three hours, while others argue the new installment is too similar to the 2022 Avatar: The Way of Water. Although the series still has a strong fan base, many feel the story alone does not justify a five-film universe, especially with each entry’s budget exceeding $400 million.
As is often the case with Cameron, box office revenue will ultimately decide whether the fourth and fifth Avatar films are made. Despite his ambivalent relationship with the Oscars, his films still appear on Academy ballots, albeit mostly in technical categories.
The first 2009 Avatar received nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, and ultimately won three awards. Avatar: The Way of Water earned four nominations, winning Best Visual Effects and also competing in the Best Picture category. The question now is whether the third Avatar follows this pattern, or if the Academy’s doors have permanently closed to large-scale sci-fi action films.
Source: MovieWeb
