Avatar: Running Time Confirmed & New Footage

Today we have a pair of items for one of next month’s major releases and one of the most anticipated films of the last few years: Avatar.

Avatar is written and directed by James Cameron, starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Stephen Lang and Giovanni Ribisi. Thanks to The Hollywood Reporter we have a confirmed runtime length for the film which isn’t as long as some were reporting, as well as a new video about the film’s antagonist Colonel Quaritch that features a bunch of new cool footage.

It was speculated that the runtime of Cameron’s big budget 3D epic was over three hours but it is now confirmed to be two and a half hours (150 minutes) or around 156 minutes including the credit sequence. This of course is confirmed theatrical release running length so you can expect to see more on the home video releases that follow.

The mid-to-long runtime of the movie ensures that theaters can run the standard double showings in the evenings at around 7 and 10 p.m. in addition to the three daytime screening times. As long as I’m entertained entirely throughout, I usually like seeing more for my money and this running time is fine with me.

Next up is something more fun thanks to Coke Zero and their cross-marketing with 20th Century Fox. Here’s the new video titled “Through Eyes Of Colonel Quaritch” which features a quite a few little scenes we’ve not seen yet:

If you’re excite for this flick and dying to see more, definitely check out the featurette we put up on Friday which shows and talks about the planet of Pandora and why James Cameron describes it as the “Garden of Eden with teeth and claws.” And of course, the brilliant international Avatar trailer is a must-see.

What do you think of Colonel Quaritch?

Avatar debuts in just a matter of weeks on December 18, 2009 and we’ll be there.

Source: THR

Tags: avatar

stpau1y

This story is so unoriginal. This movie is going to be very predictable.

M-Cat

stpaul1y

please name some great movies in the last five years that are original stories.

I love the running time but I'm sure I'll have to get the extended director's cut to see the real movie and see all the scenes that end up deleted like the important footage The Abyss that was deleted.

Matt Keith

The more I see of this film, the more I can't wait to see it.

Jc

I agree with stpau1y. Rarely are movies original anymore, but they shouldn't hype up avatar anymore than any other movie. It's got great visuals. Wow. Does it look like 'real life'? Not even close. So what's the deal

DrSamBeckett

I want to be excited for this movie, I should be, but so far nothing I have seen has grabbed me. Maybe the next trailer.

790

Ugh, who drinks coke Zero? That stuff el kill ya!

M-Cat,,,
Primer, The Fall , Moon, District 9, The Fountain, Slumdog Millionaire to name a few great original films. ;-)
Seen any of them?

KantStandYa

tushee 790 those were great movies especially moon and the fountain i loved that movie. and the fall i thought i was the only one who liked that film everyone else i know hates it but it was a very great story. As for AVATR i gotta say im real excited to c it to me it looks like a fresh take on a old idea some what original mostly not but im still there on dec18.

Stephie

@790...

I drink Coke Zero, and it's not that bad. :) lol

I've seen Moon, Slumdog Millionaire, The Fountain and District 9. All of them have their merits as far as being original stories go, and all of them were quite good.

As far as Avatar goes, it may not be the most original story around, but then again, neither was Titanic, and look how big it was at the box office.

Basically, Fox is hoping that people will come back and see Avatar again, just like they did when Titanic and The Abyss were at the multiplex.

BP

yea I'll be there for sure. Original idea or not, it looks like a fun ride. And Colonel Quaritch looks awesome, especially with those BA looking scars across the side of his head. Very excited to say the least.

Iron Knight

I'm pretty sure there will be a director's cut of the film of like 3 hrs or so. I'd see the video with pleasure but I don't wanna see anything more from this film until I sit at the theater on opening day. I wanna be surprised :D

790

Stephie, check out "The Fall" I think you'll really dig it. ;-)

M-Cat

I've seen all of those movies except for primer and the fall and they were pretty good but not anything spectacular and all had concepts taken from other stories or events. District 9 was a story taken from the early 50's or 60's but with aliens.

the_old_man

BP says: "BA looking scars"

Scars!? I thought they were beauty tattoos. :D

790

Lol, M-Cat if your gonna use that defense to reinforce your statement then sure all movies are ripoffs... ;-)

Some would have called Star Wars something original, but I'm guess you could draw ties to Flash Gordon and the Arol Flynn films.
;-)

M-Cat

790

that was the point of the conversation that nothing is original anymore.

MBL Entertainment, LLC

60 mins showed a lot of footage tonight.

Vic Holtreman

@MBL

Yeah, I liked the segment on 60 Minutes - I'm dying to see if the film lives up to expectations and how it ends up doing at the box office.

Vic

Rob Keyes

It won't make as much money as New Moon :(

@ 790,

I loved Primer although it made my brain hurt. I gotta watch it again.

790

Yeah Rob you know they made "Primer" for less then 10k.

Check out "The Fall." Rob,,!!!
:-)

790

Btw I'm not watching this footage. I want to be surprised when I see this,,,

Rob do you know if this is going to be shown in 2D in theaters? I'm not going to bother if its only in 3D,,,
(As I don't support the 3D agenda)

Matt Keith

@790

I believe it will be released in 2D.

the_old_man

Rob & Stephie trust 790 on "The Fall" he knows what he's talking about. Now if we could only get some good SciFi script into Tarsem's his hands...

790

Cool if that's the case Matt, I'll be there opening day,,,

Ok I don't want anymore footage til then,,, ;-)

Giraffehead

M-Cat
I think the problem some people have with the originality of this film is:

A. The story is not new, yet it was touted as something revolutionary... but I think most people have come to grips that they stretched the truth here.

B. The fact that the story has been done many times (Dances with Wolves and Furngully are the popular ones). So whereas some movies may borrow or offer new twists, this movie seems little more than a CGI makeover of a tired plot line.

So while your point may have been that nothing is original anymore, that is not what lies behind the complaint.

DrSamBeckett

So, it is generally considered, that unless a film makes more than 3 times its budget, that is isnt a hit. I would like to say, the chances of Avatar making 3 times its budget is absolutely impossible. Because that would put its total above TDK.

Imagine if it makes less than New Moon on opening weekend. Oh I will laugh!

Vic Holtreman

@790

Avatar will be released in 2D as well as in 3D.

Vic

Stephen

Although I can't think of a movie that AVATAR is basing it's story off of, I can relate it to the history of America. It would seem that the Marines(in the movie) is like the colonists in the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th century and the Navi(The blue people) are Indians. We come in because we want something of theirs like land and natural resources. They probably start off friendly but then soon start to resist because we get a little aggressive with our expansion and harvesting of the resource that they are after in the film. Now throw in some changes like it's a few hundred years in the future and all the technology involved and the fact that one of them can manipulate the Navi but soon joins forces with them and you seem to have AVATAR.

Please name me some of the movies that it's basing it's story off of because I'm honestly blanking right now. Also, this movie will probably have a good story but come on, the visuals that you'll experience in IMAX 3D is the REAL reason to go see this. Some people tha have seen it the way the movie was meant to be seen have described it as revolutionary to the film industry. Now tell me THAT doesn't make you wanna see it.

Ken J

I love all of the people that seem to just look out for Avatar articles just so they can post negative comments. It's like the same people every time. I think our response to them from now on should be a sarcastic "Really?? You are not excited for Avatar?? Oh no, they should scrap the project, now it is doomed for failure!!" :-D

Syrus817

@790

Man i thought i was the only one who knew about The Fall and the Fountain haha, none of my friends have seen those. Two of my favorite movies. Never heard of Primer, gonna go look it up now, I have moon on my computer just havent got around to watching it yet, too much COD and Assassins Creed 2 haha.
I think James Cameron for Avatar maybe had somewhat of an original idea what he conceived it but it took to long for him to make it. A majority of movies all have similar story lines. Im looking forward to hopefully a good plot line, great special effects and some awesome action.