James Cameron Announces Long-Awaited Fan Favorite Movie Getting The Treatment It Deserves
For decades now, James Cameron fans have hoped and prayed for a special edition 4K release of his hit 1989 sci-fi film, The Abyss. Now, according to an official announcement from the Avatar filmmaker’s social media accounts, these dreams are becoming a reality. According to Cameron, the stunning rerelease of The Abyss will be remastered in 4K, and is set to receive a theatrical release this December.
For those familiar with James Cameron’s filmography, The Abyss serves as a fascinating crossroads of the auteur filmmaker’s career. The film suffered a series of behind-the-scenes setbacks, and has been cited by some as one of the most grueling shoots in all of Hollywood’s history. Ed Helms nearly drowned to death while filming a climactic underwater scene, and many cast and crew members feared for their lives while navigating the technical specs of the practical-effects-laden movie.
In the end, James Cameron was forced to recut The Abyss with several alternate endings, appropriating footage to construct a climax without the proper materials, due to the shoot going way over budget and nearly shuttering the film’s release entirely.
As a result, the final moments of the original film contain poorly realized effects and a plot device that seems to come out of nowhere. While fans still love The Abyss, in all its distorted glory, Cameron has routinely cited issues with the final product.
Now, James Cameron can finally present the film as he always intended, with the filmmaker expressing on X (formerly Twitter) that the theatrical rerelease of The Abyss will be the the perfect way for fans to experience it. The special edition release also comes with a brand new poster for the 1989 film, as well as an expected announcement of a 4K Blu-ray following the theatrical run. The film has never been committed to Blu-ray before, despite being a top-selling movie on VHS, DVD, and laserdisc upon its initial release.
While James Cameron is certainly elated to finally bring his vision to life on the big screen more than 30 years later, fans shouldn’t expect much of a response from The Abyss‘ lead actors, who famously look back on the production as a living nightmare.
Ed Helms is rumored to have even punched James Cameron in the face during the strenuous production according to trivia on IMDb. Actors working on the highly irregular and problematic shoot often referred to the film with derogatory titles such as “Son of Abyss” or “The Abuse” in order to express their dissatisfaction with the production.
While most fans on social media were quick to show support for James Cameron’s remaster, others demanded rereleases of other Cameron classics following the presumed success of The Abyss. Aliens, True Lies, and Titanic are among the top requests for additional remastering and rereleasing by the filmmaker.
While it’s unclear if Cameron will commit this remaster to a wider pattern and follow up with some of his other fan favorites, fans can rest assured that the remaster of The Abyss will be worth catching in theaters.
