Why Cameron Decided To Re-Release “Avatar”

Curious as to why director James Cameron decided that a second theatrical run for “Avatar” was necessary?

The director tells USA Today that he wanted his movie to come back into theaters because “Alice in Wonderland” stole some of the film’s thunder.

“I would say the decision was made three days after ‘Alice’ in Wonderland came out and took half our 3-D screens and all of our IMAX screens,” Cameron says. “And we were still selling out shows. So I looked for our next window, which was the end of August.”

The new cut, hitting theaters tomorrow, will include nine minutes of new footage including the infamous Navi love scene.

Other additional moments include a “drums of war” scene that explains why humans decide to wipe out the Na’vi, and more footage of the death of Na’vi tribesman Tsu’tey

Cameron says he wanted to restore some scenes that were initially trimmed for their length.

“At the time, we didn’t know how much audiences could take 3-D, especially in live action,” Cameron says. “We didn’t know if people’s eyes would melt after two hours. Most 3-D films run 100 or 105 minutes.”

Avatar’s encore marks one of the quickest re-releases in Hollywood. Most films return to the big screen for anniversaries or Oscar runs. And until Aug. 12, the original movie was still playing in a few dozen theaters.

But Cameron says the new version “crackles right along” and is closer to his original vision. “We had to make some brutal cuts” the first time around, he says. The new version will retain its PG-13 rating.

“I think people were going to see it, but then it disappeared from IMAX,” Cameron says. “There are people, including kids, who didn’t get a chance to see it and want a different experience than the DVD. I think we can be the last big hurrah of summer.”