Before moviegoers return to Pandora, they’ll be
able visit the exotic alien world from “Avatar” on
their smartphones. Lightstorm Entertainment and 20th Century Fox
have enlisted game studio Kabam to develop an
“Avatar” mobile game for release ahead of the
next four lm sequels. “The idea is to extend the world beyond the big screen and create an experience that will be
true to what James Cameron did in making the
most technologically advanced lm of its time,”
said Kabam COO Kent Wakeford. “That’s what we
want to do with this game.” The multiplayer strategy game is set for release
in 2018 before the second “Avatar” lm hits
theaters. Wakeford said Kabam plans to update
the game as “Avatar” sequels unfurl every other
year through 2023. Kabam previously released mobile games based
on such franchises as “Star Wars,” Marvel and
“Fast & Furious.”Wakeford said the budget to
produce the “Avatar” game will be substantially
more than $14 million, the average cost of
Kabam’s previous titles. The original 2009 lm centered on the
conflict between the human-led Resources
Development Administration and the blue-
skinned alien race Na’vi of Pandora. The
lm sequels will explore Pandora’s other
environments and cultures. “For us, to be able to come out ahead of the
movie and start to introduce a whole new set
of characters and experiences when the movie
releases and then again and again and again as
the new films roll out, it’ll allow us to create a
really engaging game,” said Wakeford. The game won’t only rely on the first movie for
inspiration. For the past year, the developers at
Kabam have been collaborating with artists and
others working on the next “Avatar” installments
at Lightstorm. “There might be a creature or RDA aircraft that
was not in the first movie that we designed for
the sequels that’s part of the texture of the films,”
said “Avatar” producer and Lightstorm COO Jon
Landau. “If it doesn’t reveal a story point from
the films, why not share that with Kabam and
allow them to use it in that space?” The four sequels are slated to be simultaneously filmed. Landau said screenwriters are close to finishing their scripts and filming with the principal
cast, which includes Sam Worthington and Zoe
Saldana, is set to begin in early 2017. Landau said the mobile game’s plot will be separate
from the“Avatar” films and will allow players to
align together and make decisions that will a direct
the narrative. “I think science action can be a great metaphor for
the world in which we live,”said Landau.“As people
play this game, I want them to have choices, just like
they have in life. The choices you make in a game
create different experiences for you - some for the
better, some for the worse. It’s about engaging
people in this world but never losing sight of the
ethos of‘Avatar.’” A series of“Avatar”games, including mobile
editions and a console game developed by Ubisoft
Entertainment, were released alongside the first
“Avatar”movie and received a mixed reaction from
critics and fans. Landau said the partnership with
Kabam doesn’t mean Lightstorm has ruled out
developing another console game. While lmmaker James Cameron’s sci- saga
remains the biggest blockbuster of all time with
$2.8 billion at the worldwide box office, “Avatar”
has mostly been away from cultural consciousness
except for a touring exhibit and Cirque du Soleil
show. Walt Disney World is set to open an “Avatar”-
themed land in 2017, while Dark Horse Comics is
working on an“Avatar”series.
Online:
http://www.kabam.com
http://www.avatarmovie.com
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