James Cameron and Roland Emmerich are two biggies of Hollywood. Cameron, the brain behind blockbusters Avatar‘ and ‘Titanic‘, is known for his rigorous and often exacting approach to filmmaking. Emmerich, on the other hand, is the creative mind behind films like ‘Independence Day‘ and ‘The Day After Tomorrow‘.
He has made his mark with large-scale disaster movies. Their paths crossed briefly on a project Cameron had been interested in for years: a remake of the 1966 sci-fi thriller ‘Fantastic Voyage‘. However, when Emmerich was considered for the director’s chair, things rapidly turned sour, prompting some eyebrow-raising statements from both parties.
The “Overbearing” Exchange Between James Cameron and Roland Emmerich
During a recent panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Roland Emmerich didn’t hold back when discussing his short-lived involvement with the ‘Fantastic Voyage‘ remake. When asked about the project during Collider‘s ‘Directors on Directing‘ panel, Emmerich said, ”James Cameron is very overbearing, and so I, at one point, just gave up.”
”Because it’s like, ‘Is it your movie or my movie?”’ Emmerich added. But if Emmerich expected his words to go unanswered, he surely underestimated Cameron’s drive to embrace his reputation.
When THR reached out to Cameron for a response, the ‘Avatar‘ director didn’t shy away from the label. “Yes, I’m overbearing. Damn right,” he declared, taking full ownership of the characteristic that has both propelled his films to greatness and occasionally ruffled a few feathers along the way.
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James Cameron And Roland Emmerich Had Different Visions About The Film
Roland Emmerich found James Cameron’s involvement in the film too restrictive. “I have to say, I do my stuff, and when I can’t do my stuff, I’m totally not interested. As simple as that,” Emmerich explained.
For Cameron, however, the idea of stepping back wasn’t on the table. “When it’s a project where I’ve contributed to the writing, I might actually have an opinion on it,” he told THR. “If I talked to Roland, it was for two minutes. I have a pretty good memory and I don’t remember that at all,” he remarked, downplaying the entire incident.
As for the ‘Fantastic Voyage‘ remake, Cameron suggested that the project is no longer a priority, saying, “Move on, that’s a non-story.” While Cameron continues to focus on his upcoming projects, including the highly anticipated ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash‘, Emmerich is busy with, ‘Space Nation‘, a sprawling sci-fi universe that aims to revolutionize gaming and entertainment.
It’s clear that both directors have moved on to other ventures, but one thing is certain—when it comes to being “overbearing,” Cameron is wearing the badge with pride.
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