Project 880 - the Avatar that almost was...

[Mike Philbin]

this article was mentioned in another thread and I searched the forums for it and it wasn't there as its own thread ... maybe I'm not the only one to have missed it.

And some of the Project 880 'setup' Dead Earth stuff did make it into the Extended DVD re-issue but it's a real two-part (or FIVE HOUR) movie, that I'd loved to have seen - the more Avatar the better.

This is a very long article by Devin Faraci in CHUD -- PROJECT 880: THE AVATAR THAT ALMOST WAS

[Mike Philbin]

Woah!
no replies to this thread since it was written?

Okay, it's a long article but WELL WORTH reading, if you want real insight into the FILM THAT ALMOST WAS. Get on it!

[Xenolius]

I posted the link to it over in the Look folks Avatar was written in 1993. thread, don't know if I was the first.

Personally, I thought there was a lot of details in the Project 880 story that deserved to be in the film version. But maybe it was too grand to fit it all in, and maybe we'll get everything that was left out in the novel and the sequels. I also think the development of the characters, the ones in the film at least, was a lot better. They mentioned the dialogue was (abysmally) bad in P-880 but bear in mind no director would convert a preliminary script draft "as is" to the big screen.

Funny coincidence while I am writing this, I was watching The Core on Syfy and the name they use for the shell material is unobtainium as well. I knew it was a technical science term, but I wasn't aware it had been used in movies before.

[Mike Philbin]

"Since the late 1950s,[1][2] aerospace engineers have used the term "unobtainium" when referring to unusual or costly materials..." source UNOBTAINIUM

Also, and this is a bit weird... Unobtainium Ltd. is located at 7115 Laurel Canyon Blvd North Hollywood, CA 91605. The officers include Rick A Cigel. Unobtainium Ltd. was incorporated on Tuesday, June 19, 2001 in the State of CA and is currently not active. Rick A Cigel represents Unobtainium Ltd. as their registered agent.

[James of terra]

wow I just read it.....what a difference.

[Mike Philbin]

James of terra,

lovely sig image, and glad you took the time out to read the Project 880 article - it was a very interesting insight into an earlier attempt at what would eventually become the film we all know and love, AVATAR.

[Fko Lrrtok]

I think I may have read this article ages ago, but thank-you for the link anyway.
If anyone hasn't read 'Project 880', I'm not 100% sure how to get the link now to download it, but if you are able to, it is a very good read (takes a bit to print out, I can tell you).
I think one of the things that I'm not sure is mentioned in the article, but it was the ability for the Na'vi to turn their heads right around 180 degrees, pretty freaky when I visulised it.
Also I enjoyed reading in it about how Quaritch in his AMP suit, took a group of RDA soldiers into the forest with him to fight.
Highly recommend this to read.