James Cameron releases a free 3-D AVATAR Sneek Peek for IMAX viewers (Friday)

(From the 8/17/2009 USA TODAY Life section)

Cameron's 'AVATAR' goes BIG with 16-minute sneak peek

Los Angeles — Leave it to James Cameron to super-size the movie trailer.

In an unusual—and risky—promotion in support of his futuristic thriller Avatar, Cameron is issuing free IMAX 3-D tickets for a 16-minute sneak peek at his film this Friday.

The footage, most of which was shown at last month's Comic-Con convention, aims not only to introduce the alien world of Pandora but also to make clear to fans that the film is a hybrid of live action and computer-generation.

In other words, Avatar isn't a cartoon.

"There are human people, living in a world no one has ever seen, working in a conceit you have to explain to people," says Avatar producer Jon Landau. "You want to give people an idea of what to expect in the movie. You manage their expectations, because their imaginations run wild."

And fans are wild with curiosity about the $240 million opus, which has been kept under close wraps. Fox knows that the screening could generate months of online hype before the release Dec. 18 — or spawn scathing mini-reviews the studio would have to spend months rebuffing.

"Here's a guy who hasn't (directed) a movie for a dozen years, and the last one was Titanic," says Steve Mason, box-office analyst for Reelz network. "The expectations are huge. You don't want bad buzz echoing around the blogosphere all fall."

Beginning today, fans can visit AvatarMovie.com to reserve two tickets and locate IMAX theaters. The extended trailer will play before and after separately ticketed IMAX showings of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. At most theaters, the trailer will run twice between 6 and 9 p.m.

Despite a warm reception at Comic-Con, Landau says, filmmakers weren't thrilled with the presentation.

"It's a challenge in that place," Landau says. "In the back, you're so far away (from the screen) that people's lips are out of sync. IMAX has a quality we want associated with our movie."

Cameron has broken the sneak-peek rule before. For Titanic, he crafted a four-minute trailer, twice the typical length.

"From every plant to every creature to every weapon, we're creating a brand-new world," Cameron said before unveiling the footage at Comic-Con. "It's worth it to take your time and show your fans you've put in the work they expect from you."

By Scott Bowles, USA TODAY
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More News about AVATAR:
—> James Cameron's AVATAR could be first big 3-D release on Blu-ray » While the standard for 3-D on Blu-ray is still up for debate Panasonic could be working close with James Cameron on his "Avatar" as the first Blu-ray release to feature the company's 3-D technology.

AVATAR will be released in theaters this December but industry insiders says that Panasonic could be involved in releasing a 3-D Blu-ray version of the movie as early as Easter 2010. Lately Panasonic have been using clips from the SIFI epic when demonstrating their 3-D capabilities in a possible upcoming home market.

Avatar was filmed using newly developed 3-D virtual cameras, which would produce stereoscopic 3-D images simulating human sight. Avatar was originally set for release on May 22, 2009 during filming, but the film was pushed back to December 18, 2009. This was done to allow more post-production time, and to also give more time for theaters worldwide to install 3-D projectors. The film's aspect ratio will be 16:9, but a CinemaScope format will be extracted for 2-D screenings since those theaters will not manage the film's actual ratio. Avatar will also be released in IMAX 3-D. The first photo of the film was released on 8/14/09.