James Cameron Offers to Be Second Unit Director for SS Rajamouli

Following Avatar (2009) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), the third installment, Avatar: Fire and Ash, is gearing up for a global release on December 19. Legendary director James Cameron, the man behind the Avatar franchise, has been promoting the film across various countries, not limiting the campaign to the United States alone. As part of the promotions, Cameron participated in a virtual promotional interview with SS Rajamouli for the Indian audience.

Before the interview, SS Rajamouli was given an opportunity to watch Avatar: Fire and Ash in Hyderabad ahead of its global release. During the interaction, Rajamouli spoke highly about the film and Cameron’s brilliance. He said he watched the film alone but was keen to experience it again in a packed theatre on December 19 to observe audience reactions.

Cameron began the conversation by thanking SS Rajamouli for taking time out of his busy shooting schedule of Varanasi to participate in the interview. Rajamouli mentioned that he has been shooting for the film for the past year and that the shoot is expected to continue for another seven to eight months. Cameron expressed his desire to visit the sets of Varanasi to watch Rajamouli create his magic. Rajamouli said he was delighted and added that not just him or his team, but the entire Indian film industry would be thrilled by such a moment.

Cameron also said he would love to visit the sets when Rajamouli is shooting sequences involving tigers. He exclaimed, “I’m going to come to your set, SS Rajamouli. You can give me a camera, and I’ll take a few shots for you like a second unit director.” Rajamouli was overwhelmed by the statement, noting that a filmmaker of Cameron’s stature offering to work as a second unit director on an Indian set was unheard of. He responded by saying it would be an honour to host Cameron on their sets.

SS Rajamouli is currently shooting for Varanasi, starring Mahesh Babu, with a planned release in 2027. James Cameron, meanwhile, is preparing for the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash on December 19, after which he will move on to Avatar 4 and Avatar 5, scheduled for release in 2029 and 2031 respectively.