From what we know about the upcoming “Avatar” special edition DVD/BluRay, it’s going to be mammoth. While no release date has yet been set, among the extras confirmed are an extended opening sequence, 16 minutes of new footage, 45 minutes of deleted/unfinished scenes and a documentary on the Xingu River Dam. But if that wasn’t enough, there’s even more.
Two minutes of test footage from James Cameron’s aborted adaptation of Patricia Anthony’s novel “Brother Termite” will be included as an extra feature. A satirical story about extraterrestrials who work in the highest level of government, the film had a script by John Sayles and Cameron began initial work on the project in 2002. For whatever reason it fell apart (our guess? budget) but its significant because at the time Cameron was already experimenting with performance capture technology that he would later use to blue people’s minds in “Avatar.” It will certainly be an interesting piece of history.
Bleeding Cool has a rundown of some of the other featurettes that are likely to appear on the disc. But if you want to experience the film the way James Cameron intended, buy yourself a 3D television and a salesman will toss you a free copy of the 3D BluRay of the film for your trouble.