James Cameron originally wrote “Avatar” as a way to challenge the special-effects firm
Digital Domain, where he served as chief executive. However, it took technology 14 years to catch up with his vision of a faraway planet populated by otherwordly plants and animals where humans embody avatars just to brave the landscape. “In the same way that I wrote ‘Terminator’ just to get a directing gig, I decided to write a story that was full of creatures and characters that would push the art of CG for that company,” he said. Artists there said it couldn’t be done.
