AVATAR's James Cameron visits Walt Disney World

Leah Zanolla | Posted: Oct 19, 2011 | Updated: Oct 19, 2014 - 9:25:27 AM

Filmmaker James Cameron is visiting Walt Disney World this week to begin work on the new AVATAR project that was announced in September. Tom Staggs, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, and Imagineer Joe Rohde were seen at Animal Kingdom with Cameron and Jon Landau, his producing partner at Lightstorm Entertainment. With construction beginning in 2013, the AVATAR-themed land of Pandora will come to life at Disney's Animal Kingdom in a creative partnership between Disney, Fox Filmed Entertainment and Lightstorm Entertainment.

As the project's creative consultants, Cameron and Landau were exploring Animal Kingdom to experience the level of detail for which Disney Parks are known and to decide how best to blend the fantasy world of AVATAR with the tactile environment of a theme park. Cameron said, "As I walked through the park, I kept imagining Pandora coming to life all around me and found my mind racing with all the possibilities of what we will be able to create in the years ahead. Disney's Animal Kingdom is truly a remarkable place and I can't think of a better home for our first AVATAR experience."

Joe Rohde, who was the lead Imagineer on the team that designed Animal Kingdom, said, "AVATAR and Disney's Animal Kingdom share a common bond in that they both focus on adventures that will radically change your perspective. They call you to take action on behalf of nature wherever it may be found. This is a rare opportunity to collaborate with Jim, who has an incredible eye for detail and a passion for doing things that haven't been done before."