The latest film in the hit sci-fi series Avatar continues the storytelling of acceptance, identity and love, said director James Cameron.
"Avatar: Fire and Ash", the third installment in one of the most lucrative film franchises globally, opened Friday in the Chinese mainland alongside its North American release.
In an interview with China Media Group (CMG) earlier this month, Cameron said the film explores how those born different integrate into society and embrace their identity -- a topic of profound relevance in the real world.
"Jake and Neytiri, as much as it's a very romantic story with them, they're also an interracial couple. And so they have mixed-race children who maybe don't fit into their community, maybe they're judged more harshly. These are issues all over the world. I think acceptance, once again, it goes back to being seen. Does Jake see his son, Lo'ak? Does he understand the pain that he's in, the doubt, the self-blame, all of those things? Well, Jake is blinded by his own self-blame. And Neytiri is just blaming everybody. She goes to a very dark place," he said.
"So the characters are at risk. We feel for them. We want this to get resolved for them, because we like them. We care about them. I think that's just an aspect of storytelling that this film is not afraid to go into," said Cameron.
The 198-minute "Avatar: Fire and Ash," grossed 101 million yuan (about 14 million U.S. dollars) on its opening day in Chinese mainland, indicating a steady market response amid increasingly diversified audience preferences. The film accounted for more than 46 percent of total screenings on the day.
Avatar 3 tells story of acceptance, identity: director
