The Walt Disney Co. has announced plans to launch a new attraction based on Pandora, the setting of "Avatar," the highest grossing film of all time. The Avatar attraction will be based in the Animal Kingdom park in Walt Disney World near Orlando.
Officials from Disney held a media event with James Cameron, the director of "Avatar," on Tuesday to announce the news.
"James Cameron is a groundbreaking filmmaker and gifted storyteller who shares our passion for creativity, technological innovation and delivering the best experience possible," said Robert Iger, president and CEO of the Walt Disney Co. "With this agreement, we have the extraordinary opportunity to combine James' talent and vision with the imagination and expertise of Disney."
"'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," Cameron said.
Released in December 2009, "Avatar" has generated almost $2.8 billion, brushing aside "Titanic," another Cameron film, to become the largest grossing film in history. "Avatar" presents the story of the Navi, an alien race looking to defend their homeworld against invaders from Earth.
Disney will start construction on the new attraction in 2013. The project is estimated to cost about $400 million.
Weve just begun the design phase on our Animal Kingdom project and we expect to begin construction in 2013, noted Thomas Staggs, the chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts on Tuesday. From start to finish, a project of this size and scope takes about five years to design and build. We cant give you an exact date, but we know that when its complete, its going to be a truly unforgettable experience.
While "Avatar" was distributed by 20th Century Fox, Disney has featured films from other companies in its parks, including the "Star Wars" franchise.
"'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," Staggs said. "We can't wait to give our guests the ability to journey to Pandora and explore the incredible immersive world of Avatar in person."
Cameron and his team are planning to release sequels to "Avatar" in late 2014 and late 2015.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
