James Cameron’s filmography has long been left out of 4K releases, but that’s about to change this December as his entire collection, from Aliens to Avatar, gets a staggered release on 4K.
On December 5, Titanic will come out on 4K, along with a digital 25th anniversary collector’s edition. Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water gets re-released as collector editions on December 19, preceded by a 4K digital download on December 12. And on March 12, 2024, Aliens, True Lies, and The Abyss will make their 4K debut.
This marks the first time Cameron’s films have come out on 4K, despite the director’s lengthy history of creating films with mass appeal and lastability.
“We really wanted to deliver the best possible experience at home so viewers could immerse themselves both in the films and the journeys we went through to make them,” said John Landau, a producer that has worked with Cameron for years.
Each film will have never before seen behind-the-scenes footage sans Aliens. The Abyss will feature an extended conversation with Cameron about his near-deadly experience filming and a documentary on its legacy spanning decades. The True Lies 4K edition will also include a documentary called Fear Is Not an Option. Avatar: The Way of Water packs the most extended content, featuring more than eight hours of extra material.
“There’s a world of emotions in revisiting these films, and I hope we’ve captured some of that in the new bonus materials we created for our fans,” Cameron said in a statement.
Along with the 4K deluxe editions, a special version of The Abyss is being released in select theaters on December 6.
“If you haven’t seen the film before, this is the way to experience it,” said Cameron. “And if you have, you’ll be seeing the film I actually set out to make, with some big surprises not seen in the original release version.”
The 4K deluxe editions come out well ahead of the third installation of the Avatar franchise, expected to come out on December 19, 2025. The film’s theatrical debut was delayed a year and also pushed back the production of Avatar 4 to December 21, 2029, and Avatar 5 to December of 2031, continuing the franchise’s pattern of lengthy pauses between film releases.