上周，科幻巨制《阿凡達》（Avatar）突然定檔重映（reissue），滿滿的懷舊氣息（nostalgia）溢滿互聯網。
這部曾橫掃全球的大片（blockbuster），也為春節后佳片匱乏、重陷蕭條的內陸影院注入一劑強心針。
十年前的2010年1月4日，《阿凡達》首次登陸（debut）內陸影院。彼時，中國電影業的“黃金十年”剛剛起步。雖然全國只有幾百塊3D銀幕，IMAX銀幕僅14塊，但國人對于特效大片的熱情洶涌澎湃。彼時，為了一張電影票，有人在凜凜寒風排長隊，有人不惜重金從黃牛手中購票。
十年后，當年曾為《阿凡達》一票難求的影迷們，重回影院緬懷自己的青春時，許多人依然在驚嘆：這特效還這么震撼，一點都沒有過時。
而十年前，還在讀小學或中學的你，或許當年沒有機會在大銀幕看到這部影片。如今遍地都是3D銀幕的中國，應該很容易幫你領略到潘多拉（Pandora）星球的奇觀世界。
上周末，在內陸重映的《阿凡達》狂攬1.36億元（約合2千萬美元），從而使其全球總票房超過《復仇者聯盟4》(Avengers: Endgame)，一舉重回世界第一的寶座。
這十年來，或許無人敢質疑《阿凡達》的視覺特效（visual effects），但關于這個外星“釘子戶”遭遇人類強拆隊的故事，卻也在文化層面被各種解讀。
在《阿凡達》上映前一天，中國日報視頻連線正在新西蘭制作《阿凡達》續集的詹姆斯·卡梅隆導演。從他對中國電影市場的觀察，到《阿凡達》續集的拍攝情況，此時正在新西蘭的卡神都坦誠地一一作答。
他主動提起關于這個故事曾被批評偏簡單的評論，卡梅隆不以為然，認為《阿凡達》的故事能在全世界不同文化背景的觀眾群中都引起共鳴。
While asked the legacy about the film over past decade, Cameron replies: “As a filmmaker, you want to be able to resonate with people everywhere. I know some people criticize the story for being too simple. I think it wasn't that simple. It was universal. It was something that everybody everywhere could understand and emotionally related to.”
在《阿凡達》中，最讓人津津樂道的，大概是身高約三米、藍色皮膚的納威人(Na’vi)。
雖然是外星人，但他們纖細修長的身形，和矯健敏捷的身手，會讓你在觀影時忘記他們是外星土著，甚至會情不自禁被他們那種帶著原始野性的美所吸引。對于自己的“杰作”，卡神依然很是得意。
“With the first Avatar film, we just did everything we could imagine. That would make it a better experience for you in the theaters from 3D screens to the quality of the animation and the sense of reality as well as the way in which we captured the performances and translated them to the characters (the 3-meter-tall, blue-skinned Na’vi aliens),” says Cameron.
而對于中國電影市場的恢復和中國對于疫情的有力防控，卡梅隆表示了驚嘆，對中國能重映《阿凡達》謝意滿滿。
Cameron says that he has felt “truly incredible about what has happened in China”. He adds he feels impressive about Chinese film authorities’ effort to promote local cinemas and bring people back to theaters.
卡梅隆表示“對于中國發生的一切感到不可思議”。他表示對中國電影人推廣本土影片，讓觀眾重返影院的努力印象深刻。
“You guys (Chinese people) are leading the charge. That's fantastic. I love it that you've got the virus under control enough and you've got the economy reemerging as well as cinema reemerging.”
“你們中國觀眾，真是太棒了。你們把病毒控制得足夠好，重振經濟也讓電影業復蘇，我很贊賞。”
盡管去年內陸影院因防疫需要，曾關閉六個月。但當影院燈火重明后，中國影迷們也以熱情回報了久別重逢的電影。從去年國慶期間的大熱影片《我和我的家鄉》到春節檔的“黑馬爆款”《你好，李煥英》，內陸電影市場證明了其巨大的潛力和活力。
China took decisive action shortly after the COVID-19 outbreak earlier last year, enforcing a six-month-long closure of more than 75,000 screens in around 12,000 cinemas until it became safe again for moviegoers to return.
Propelled by a bunch of Chinese blockbusters ranging from the patriotic anthology My People, My Homeland to the recent Spring Festival smash hit Hi, Mom, the country has seen an inspiring revival from the impact of the pandemic, becoming the world’s largest movie market in terms of yearly box office gross since October last year.
對此，卡神也是贊不絕口。
“The Chinese film industry is growing in strength and ability to tell these Chinese stories at a world-class level,” says Cameron.
“中國電影行業的實力和能力都在增長，能夠講述世界級別的中國故事，”卡梅隆說。
“I'm honored that they (referring to the China Film Administration and Chinese distributors) chose Avatar to be one of the films to sort of remind people what the cinematic experience is,” he adds.
“我很榮幸他們（指國家電影局和中國發行人）選擇了阿凡達，讓觀眾重拾觀影體驗。”
當然，最讓影迷們翹首以盼的，莫過于《阿凡達》續集到底什么時候能出來。對此，卡神表示：我真的真的有在埋頭苦干。另外，他表示自己這十年也沒閑著，并給出了特別有說服力的例子，比如潛到深達萬米的馬里亞納海溝去拍了紀錄片《詹姆斯-卡梅隆的深海挑戰》。
“I spent two years building a submarine and diving it to the deepest place in the world, which is in the Deepsea Challenge. I didn't even really start until 2012,” says Cameron.
此外，他還監制了《阿麗塔：戰斗天使》（Alita: Battle Angel），而且還從學術層面上以一己之力聚集神仙陣容，邀請雷德利·斯科特、斯皮爾伯格、喬治·盧卡斯和諾蘭等大咖拍了六集紀錄片《詹姆斯·卡梅隆的科幻故事》（James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction）。
此外，他解釋說《阿凡達》4部續集的實際拍攝工作開始于三年前。團隊用了一年半的時間進行動作捕捉的拍攝，而后再拍演員的實景。但因為疫情緣故，制作還是被耽誤了4個月。好消息是第一部續集《阿凡達2》會在2022年12月公映。
He says the actual production of the four Avatar sequels started around three years ago — with a year and a half for performance capture, followed by the live action filming of the human characters. “But there's no cameras involved in the performance capture process. We're capturing data of the performances. That's how we bring those beautiful, big, blue Na’vi people to life,” says Cameron.
But he reveals that he had also seen the project delayed for four months due to the pandemic, and the good news is that the first Avatar sequel will be released in December 2022.
好吧，雖然《阿凡達》續集的定檔時間總是一改再改，我們也就選擇相信卡神，他一定是在默默積蓄洪荒之力，醞釀讓我們驚掉下巴的《阿凡達2》、《阿凡達3》、《阿凡達4》和《阿凡達5》。
浮云一別，流水十年。《阿凡達》歸去又復來的這十年里，你是否愿意和China Daily分享下，你所經歷的人生起伏？
記者：徐帆
編輯：李雪晴
實習生：陳羽潔
