James Cameron Says He Cursed at Fox Exec Who 'Flipped Out' Over Avatar Runtime
Jeff Spicer/WireImage James Cameron
James Cameron remembers those who supported him along the way... and those who didn't.
The Academy Award-winning filmmaker, 68, revealed to GQ in an interview published Monday that he told a Fox executive to "get the f— out of my office" amid a heated exchange over the controversial runtime of his record-breaking 2009 epic blockbuster Avatar.
Ahead of the long-awaited premiere of his sequel Avatar: The Way of Water, Cameron recalled a particular interaction with one Fox executive, "who will go unnamed, because this is a really negative review."
Cameron said the exec approached him with a "stricken cancer-diagnosis expression" after an early screening of the original movie over its two-hour, 42-minute length.
"I said something I've never said to anybody else in the business," Cameron recounted, telling him: " 'I think this movie is going to make all the f—ing money. And when it does, it's going to be too late for you to love the film. The time for you to love the movie is today.' "
Disney Zoe Salda?a in Avatar (2009)
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He continued, " 'So I'm not asking you to say something that you don't feel, but just know that I will always know that no matter how complimentary you are about the movie in the future when it makes all the money'—and that's exactly what I said, in caps, ALL THE MONEY, not some of the money, all the f—ing money. I said, 'You can't come back to me and compliment the film or chum along and say, "Look what we did together."' You won't be able to do that.' "
RELATED: 'Avatar: The Way of Water' Runtime Revealed to Be More Than 3 Hours Long (Report)
"At that point, that particular studio executive flipped out and went bug s— on me. And I told him to get the f— out of my office. And that's where it was left," Cameron said.
Cameron's instincts ultimately proved to be fruitful for the studio, as the movie broke multiple records with its $77,025,481 domestic opening weekend, according to Box Office Mojo. The film has grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide, thanks to multiple theatrical runs since its original 2009 release.
20th Century Studios
According to The Hollywood Reporter, moviegoers can expect a runtime of three hours and 10 minutes for Avatar: The Way of Water, which premieres Dec. 16.
Cameron previously warned fans about the lengthy sequel during an interview with Empire, in which he said he doesn't "want anybody whining about length when they sit and binge-watch [television] for eight hours."
RELATED VIDEO: Avatar 2: First Look At Sequel's Next Generation Cast
"It's like, give me a f—ing break. I've watched my kids sit and do five one-hour episodes in a row. Here's the big social paradigm shift that has to happen: It's okay to get up and go pee," Cameron added.
Avatar: The Way of Water hits theaters Dec. 16.