James Cameron’s Upcoming Grimdark Adaptation Should Learn 1 Lesson From His First Avatar Movie

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Director James Cameron is adapting a dark and gritty novel, but he should remember a key lesson from his original Avatar film. While Cameron is famous for the Avatar franchise, its future is uncertain. Disney hasn’t officially said whether Avatar 4 and 5 will happen, and it’s not clear if Cameron will continue directing them.

Despite the challenges, Cameron has several exciting projects in the works. He’s writing and producing a new Terminator movie and a sequel to Alita: Battle Angel, and he’s also directing Ghosts of Hiroshima, which is based on the books by Charles Pellegrino.

Perhaps his most anticipated project is a film based on a hugely popular book that topped bestseller lists for the New York Times, USA Today, and independent booksellers. This movie will also be his first time directing a full-fledged fantasy story. However, he should remember a key lesson from his most well-known work.

James Cameron Is Adapting The Devils By Joe Abercrombie

Custom Image by Milica Djordjevic

James Cameron revealed in June 2025 that his production company, Lightstorm Entertainment, now owns the rights to Joe Abercrombie’s novel, The Devils. Cameron will be collaborating with Abercrombie to write the screenplay. He shared that he started reading the book to his wife and was immediately captivated by its wild and unpredictable nature. He praised the novel’s dark and gritty storytelling.

The Devils Book Information
Author Joe Abercrombie
Publication Date May 6, 2025
# of Pages 565
Audiobook Narrator Steven Pacey

In a fantastical, medieval Europe overrun by supernatural creatures, the Church assembles an unlikely team: a band of criminals and monsters. Their mission? To safely guide a disguised princess – a master con artist – to the throne of Troy. This group includes a necromancer, an immortal knight burdened by a curse, a vampire, a werewolf from Scandinavia, a resourceful all-rounder, and an elf with the power of invisibility. But their journey won’t be easy – they’ll face a terrifying threat from flesh-eating elves.

James Cameron described the film as “completely wild and crazy.” While it’s a project he’s deeply enthusiastic about – which is often a positive sign – his previous passion project, Avatar, faced a major problem that could potentially harm The Devils as well.

The First Avatar Movie Was A Visual Spectacle But Narratively Shallow

Everyone agrees that the original Avatar movie had stunning visual effects, and it rightfully won Oscars for its visuals, cinematography, and art design in 2010. But those impressive visuals overshadowed a fairly weak storyline.

Honestly, when I first saw Avatar, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d seen this story before. It felt really familiar, borrowing heavily from movies like Dances with Wolves, Call Me Joe, Pocahontas, and even FernGully – and even bits of Dune! Those films all explored similar themes, and in my opinion, did them better. It wasn’t until the second Avatar movie came out that the story really felt fresh and original to me.

The Devils Movie Can’t Overlook The Story In Favor Of Impressive VFX

Okay, let me tell you about Joe Abercrombie’s The Devils. This book has all the ingredients for something truly special, and honestly, it’s got me way more hyped than any of the upcoming Avatar movies. The characters are fantastic – genuinely unique and fully realized. And the story? It’s a wild ride! Hilarious, action-packed, plenty of gore, and just when you think you know what’s happening, it throws you a curveball. My one concern, though, is with James Cameron adapting this. Given the medieval setting and the potential for stunning visuals, there’s a real risk he’ll focus too much on the spectacle and forget about the gripping plot that makes the book so great.

Grimdark tales thrive on a dark, frightening atmosphere, and James Cameron is certainly skilled at creating that. While he’ll need to build a believable medieval European setting for the movie, that shouldn’t be his only priority when adapting The Devils.

If Cameron wants to help write the script, he’ll need to really focus on bringing the unique personalities of the characters in The Devils to life. Fortunately, he has everything he needs right at hand – the original story and its author to collaborate with, plus his own screenwriting skills. Combined with Abercrombie’s storytelling and TV editing background, they have the potential to create a truly outstanding fantasy movie adaptation.

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2026-03-14 18:19