James Cameron spent the 13 years between 'Avatar' movies on his other passion: deep-sea diving

Travis ClarkDec 19, 2022, 22:07 IST

Director James Cameron attends the 'Challenging The Deep' Exhibition at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, New South Wales.James Croucher / Newspix / Getty

Filmmaker James Cameron didn't make a movie between "Avatar" and its sequel.
He spent a large part of that time on his passion for oceans and deep-sea diving.

"Avatar: The Way of Water," the sequel to the biggest movie of all time, hit theaters over the weekend — 13 years after the original.

"Avatar: The Way of Water."Disney

When director James Cameron wasn't making "The Way of Water," though, he was spending time on his other passion: deep-sea diving.

Cameron in his documentary "Aliens of the Deep."Buena Vista

In 2018, Cameron joked that he makes movies like "Avatar" to fund his deep-sea explorations.

Amanda Edwards/Getty Images

Cameron's love for sea exploration pre-dates "Avatar," though. It's reflected in his other movies like 1989's "The Abyss" and 1997's "Titanic."

"The Abyss."20th Century Fox

Cameron had dived to the real-life wreckage of the Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean 33 times since filming the movie, he revealed in a 2017 National Geographic special, "Titanic: 20 Years Later."

Oceanographer Bob Ballard and Cameron in "Titanic: 20 Years Later."National Geographic

Cameron had dived to the real-life wreckage of the Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean 33 times since filming the movie, he revealed in a 2017 National Geographic special, "Titanic: 20 Years Later."

Between "Titanic" in 1997 and "Avatar" in 2009, Cameron didn't make a narrative feature — but he did make documentaries about sea exploration.

"Ghosts of the Abyss."Disney

In 2012, Cameron broke the record for the deepest solo dive in history.

Cameron in the submersible while diving to the deepest part of the Mariana Trench.National Geographic

In 2019, millionaire adventurer Victor Vescovo claimed he had beaten Cameron's record, sparking a response from the director.

Director James Cameron on stage with Deepsea Challenger at California Science Center on June 1, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.Keipher McKennie / WireImage / Getty

Cameron recently opened an exhibit at Los Angeles County's Natural History Museum called "Pressure: James Cameron Into the Abyss."

Filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence James Cameron emerges from the Deepsea Challenger submersible after his successful solo dive to the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the ocean.Mark Thiessen/National Geographic/Handout

Cameron recently invested in a submarine company that allows anyone wealthy enough to afford the vehicles to explore the deep sea.

Director James Cameron attends the 'Challenging The Deep' Exhibition at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, New South Wales in 2018.James Croucher / Newspix / Getty

"The Way of Water" capitalizes on Cameron's fondness for the sea, including underwater sequences in which the cast had to hold their breath for several minutes.

James Cameron on "Avatar: The Way of Water" set.@jonplandau/Instagram

Not just coke and popcorn, cinema audience splurged on donuts & nachos too

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James Cameron spent the 13 years between 'Avatar' movies on his other passion: deep-sea diving

"Avatar: The Way of Water," the sequel to the biggest movie of all time, hit theaters over the weekend — 13 years after the original.

When director James Cameron wasn't making "The Way of Water," though, he was spending time on his other passion: deep-sea diving.

In 2018, Cameron joked that he makes movies like "Avatar" to fund his deep-sea explorations.

Cameron's love for sea exploration pre-dates "Avatar," though. It's reflected in his other movies like 1989's "The Abyss" and 1997's "Titanic."

Cameron had dived to the real-life wreckage of the Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean 33 times since filming the movie, he revealed in a 2017 National Geographic special, "Titanic: 20 Years Later."

Between "Titanic" in 1997 and "Avatar" in 2009, Cameron didn't make a narrative feature — but he did make documentaries about sea exploration.

In 2012, Cameron broke the record for the deepest solo dive in history.

In 2019, millionaire adventurer Victor Vescovo claimed he had beaten Cameron's record, sparking a response from the director.

Cameron recently opened an exhibit at Los Angeles County's Natural History Museum called "Pressure: James Cameron Into the Abyss."

Cameron recently invested in a submarine company that allows anyone wealthy enough to afford the vehicles to explore the deep sea.

"The Way of Water" capitalizes on Cameron's fondness for the sea, including underwater sequences in which the cast had to hold their breath for several minutes.