James Cameron, the director behind the $5.2 billion Avatar franchise, has revealed his one regret regarding the franchise: killing off Michelle Rodriguez’s character, Captain Trudy Chacon.
Despite being a controversial figure in Hollywood at the time, Rodriguez was cast in the 2009 film for her acting skills.
Cameron was glad when she accepted the offer to play Chacon, and he did not care about her personal issues as long as they did not interfere with the production.
Cameron praised Rodriguez’s portrayal of Chacon and her “amazing integrity,” which he believed was reflective of the actress herself.
However, he still regrets his decision to kill off the character in the first Avatar film.
“I’m kind of kicking myself today that I killed her off,” he said.
Rodriguez’s appearance in Avatar had a negative impact on her career, but she remains grateful to Cameron for turning her luck around.
If her character had survived the first film, there might have been a possibility of seeing her in the billion-dollar sequel as well.
Before being cast in Avatar, Rodriguez had gained critical acclaim for her roles in the 2000 sports drama Girlfight and the 2001 film The Fast and the Furious.
However, she was surprised when she received an offer for a role she had not even auditioned for in Avatar.
Cameron had met a female pilot during one of his adventure trips, and he was impressed with her skills. Rodriguez shared that after coming up with the character, James Cameron thought of her and offered her the role.
Although Captain Trudy did not make it to the sequel, Rodriguez had the opportunity to work with the director in the 2019 cyberpunk action film Alita: Battle Angel. Cameron was one of the producers of the film.
Despite his success, Cameron is not immune to regret when it comes to his creative choices.
In a previous interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he expressed regret over not making Jack’s death more climactic in Titanic.
“I think I could have done a better job with that,” he said.
The Avatar franchise has proven to be a major success for Cameron, with the first film grossing over $2.7 billion at the box office and becoming the highest-grossing film of all time until it was surpassed by Avengers: Endgame.
Cameron currently holds the record for the only director with three films in the $2 billion club, which includes Titanic, Avatar, and Avatar: The Way of Water.
Avatar fans can currently stream the first film on Disney+.
Meanwhile, Avatar 2 is currently in production, with a release date set for December 2022.
The sequel will follow the continuing adventures of Jake Sully and Neytiri, as well as their children, as they explore new areas of the moon Pandora.
Cameron has teased that the sequel will feature new underwater technology, and he has even built a massive underwater set for the film.
He has also stated that the third and fourth films in the franchise are currently in development.
Despite his regrets, Cameron remains one of the most successful and influential directors in Hollywood.
His dedication to pushing the boundaries of technology and storytelling has made him a force to be reckoned with in the industry.
