Delgo Vs. Avatar
In a landscape of sequels and remakes, one of the most expensive films in history, Avatar, is being compared to a low-budget, independent, CG-animated feature, Delgo, produced by Fathom Studios.
The much anticipated Avatar trailer was released online last week and viewer traffic overwhelmed Apple.com's trailer site. Almost immediately, reactions were posted on the internet with comments like "Avatar = Delgo," "Avatar is Basically Delgo II," and "The 7 Eeriest Parallels Between Avatar and Delgo."
USA Today's Pop Candy Blog, New York Magazine and even Huffington Post joined in the discussion circulating the web for the past several days associating James Cameron's new film, Avatar, with the independently-produced, animated feature, Delgo, which was released in theaters last year.
S.T. Vanairsdale of Movieline said, "James Cameron seems to have been influenced by some similar visuals and themes," going on to declare the two films share "uncanny parallels." WorstPreviews.com cited that the "characters and the universes of both films are almost identical." Online movie critic, JoBlo, said Avatar and Delgo were "undeniably similar," also noting that a side-by-side comparison of the two films was "pretty damn conclusive and practically warrant a likeness lawsuit from the lowest grossing movie ever to be filed against the director of the highest grossing movie ever."
Fathom Studios, the Atlanta-based production company behind Delgo, was bombarded with emails as soon as the Avatar trailer went live. A spokesperson for the studio said, "From what we have seen, we are amazed by the visual similarities between the two films and we are reviewing what legal options may be available to us."
Delgo is an independent film that took over a decade from conception to release. The initial proof-of-concept was available on Delgo.com in 1998 with work-in-progress from the feature production accessible via the website's Digital Dailies since 2000 (http://www.delgo.com). According to The Hollywood Reporter, Avatar began production in 2006 after a rewrite of the script.
Delgo was the first independently-produced CG animated feature made in the U.S. It was released on DVD on August 4th, 2009.
The much anticipated Avatar trailer was released online last week and viewer traffic overwhelmed Apple.com's trailer site. Almost immediately, reactions were posted on the internet with comments like "Avatar = Delgo," "Avatar is Basically Delgo II," and "The 7 Eeriest Parallels Between Avatar and Delgo."
USA Today's Pop Candy Blog, New York Magazine and even Huffington Post joined in the discussion circulating the web for the past several days associating James Cameron's new film, Avatar, with the independently-produced, animated feature, Delgo, which was released in theaters last year.
S.T. Vanairsdale of Movieline said, "James Cameron seems to have been influenced by some similar visuals and themes," going on to declare the two films share "uncanny parallels." WorstPreviews.com cited that the "characters and the universes of both films are almost identical." Online movie critic, JoBlo, said Avatar and Delgo were "undeniably similar," also noting that a side-by-side comparison of the two films was "pretty damn conclusive and practically warrant a likeness lawsuit from the lowest grossing movie ever to be filed against the director of the highest grossing movie ever."
Fathom Studios, the Atlanta-based production company behind Delgo, was bombarded with emails as soon as the Avatar trailer went live. A spokesperson for the studio said, "From what we have seen, we are amazed by the visual similarities between the two films and we are reviewing what legal options may be available to us."
Delgo is an independent film that took over a decade from conception to release. The initial proof-of-concept was available on Delgo.com in 1998 with work-in-progress from the feature production accessible via the website's Digital Dailies since 2000 (http://www.delgo.com). According to The Hollywood Reporter, Avatar began production in 2006 after a rewrite of the script.
Delgo was the first independently-produced CG animated feature made in the U.S. It was released on DVD on August 4th, 2009.
We'll be sure to keep you posted if any legal action does take place from Fathom Studios regarding these similarities.
Avatar was released December 18th, 2009 and stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Joel Moore, Giovanni Ribisi, Michelle Rodriguez, Laz Alonso. The film is directed by James Cameron.
Delgo was released December 12th, 2008 and stars Freddie Prinze Jr., Chris Kattan, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Anne Bancroft, Val Kilmer, Malcolm McDowell, Michael Clarke Duncan, Louis Gossett Jr.. The film is directed by Marc F. Adler, Jason Maurer.
Comments (39)
To leave a comment, please sign in or use
Facebook or Twitter
T.Clark
"The reasons why you lot can't see these differences is because all you heads are either so far up Cameron's Arse you can see his career in his next life."
And you're shoved up your own ass with facts only you can find. No one gives a sh*t anymore, Ott.
And what the f*ck is wrong with drawing inspiration from different sources? Avatar will blow minds. End of discussion.
2 years agoby @insertusernamehereFlag
J.A.Ottley.Writer / Director
Delgo has more evidence to defend its self, while Avatar doesn't...
And the person controlling Hollywood's might is called Nolan something ATM...
Cameron is second, then some delusional spielberg
2 years agoby @chronicFlag
Raoul Duke
hilarious
2 years agoby @raoulduke33Flag
-comrade-
...Does Delgo have a bunch of high priced lawyers ready to defend it? I think we can see where this is going, no matter what the truth is, Cameron just commands more Hollywood might.
2 years agoby @taberjohnson18Flag
gato
well the theme is very similar to the last samurai, dance with wolves,and very similar too to some of miyasaki movies..and that winged creatures looks like lord of the rings also---let's all sue each other...there's nothing Truly original in this world my friend..And i say it again..i saw the 3d preview and i still think this is a big leap in cinematic entertainment...and oh and uh -"as sp33 said"-
2 years agoby @gatoFlag
J.A.Ottley.Writer / Director
I have Battle of Terra, i haven't got round to watching it, but i'll watch it tomoz and send my feedback over definately.
I just see this as Cameron as ripped ideas/inspiration from a sh*t load of different sources...
I think his done a Tarantino on us
2 years agoby @chronicFlag
Drewski37
any of you think "battle for terra" look similar, i think it does....
2 years agoby @drewski37Flag
Drewski37
Yep Battle for Tera!, thanks newkill, its all the Studio bandwagon, someone gets a cool idea it gets passed around and they change the names, tweak the story a little each time and getting several similiar movies, its happened before it'll happen again....like when all those stupid volcano movies came out several years ago...
2 years agoby @drewski37Flag
SP33
Small time production studio tries to make a buck. They don't stand a chance and they know it. If anything its a set up. oh and uh F*ck you man
2 years agoby @sp33Flag
J.A.Ottley.Writer / Director
You guys are really stupid, they are looking at it narratively and visually, both film are very similiar and too similiar to be coicidential.
The reasons why you lot can't see these differences is because all you heads are either so far up Cameron's Arse you can see his career in his next life.
Stop looking at Avatar as an piece atsronomical 3d phenomenal masterpiece, look at it as a piece of film. Then comparise.
Either way one stole of the other and in this case it looks like Cameron stole of these guys, despite weather he is a great director and has a style or auteurism.
Despite the similarities and even Cameron stating Delgo's conceptual art as inspiration also looks bad on him
2 years agoby @chronicFlag
Diaigma
LOL!
2 years agoby @diaigmaFlag
IndyJones
If you look back at my comment on the trailer when it came out, i mentioned a cgi film that it reminded me of but i was unable to recall the name of that film. ITS DELGO! I knew it! I knew there was something
2 years agoby @indyjonesFlag
gato
B3njamin, isaw the avatar's day 3d preview and i can tell you, the animation and composition is ASTRONOMICALLY DIFFERENT
2 years agoby @gatoFlag
The Narrator: The Better Man
Stupid. Cameron worked on this for years and years, far before it came out, and was already in production before Delgo was released.
2 years agoby @narratorFlag
GK
Dumbasses.
2 years agoby @indianajonesFlag
reelmein
ok really ?? i saw Delgo when was in Theaters and i dont think it will be any thing like Avatar...
2 years agoby @reelmeinFlag
ed_wood
This is stupid.
2 years agoby @ed-woodFlag
B3njamin
Well if you have doubts about the similarities.. http://img.denihilation.com/delgovatar.html I guess Delgo beat Cameron to the punch, a weak punch. The CG and animation is not that different from Delgo anyway.
2 years agoby @b3njaminFlag
gato
i just saw "delgo" trailer ..this lawsuit thing is just very stupid...i'm beginning to think there's an interest in bringing this movie down...hey james it's almost september..where's the marketing campaign..95% of the global population doesnt know about the existence of your movie
2 years agoby @gatoFlag
spideykea
This is just f*ckin stupid as hell. I don't know what to say about it.
2 years agoby @spideykeaFlag
J.A.Ottley.Writer / Director
Actually for people plain information James Cameron did steal from Delgo...
in his 1999 treatment he states that a upcoming film called Delgo was also an inspiration to writing his treatment for Avatar.
2 years agoby @chronicFlag
mikehd
hopefully the'll still realease avatar all though the animation is on level of roger rabbit it could still be good action movie
2 years agoby @mikehdFlag
Psycho
Just plain stupid.
2 years agoby @physco-123Flag
penguin_9026
They spent $40 million on Delgo and only got $700,000?! The studios must be very desperate to make up a small dent in their deficet if they claim that Cameron stole this. I guess cheap publiscity is better than no publiscity for them. Or maybe this is all planned out to get everyone talking about James Cameron?
2 years agoby @penguin-9026Flag
Newkill3000
Drewski, are you talking about Battle for Tera?
2 years agoby @newkill200Flag
Drewski37
what about that movie that came out last year about humans trying to take a planet away from some peaceful aliens until the humans start using the military the aliens start fighting back and some human helps them... it was in 3d...it was called something like battle for...cant remember all of it, but avatar resembles that alot i think too.....
2 years agoby @drewski37Flag
Newkill3000
Flydeb, Matrix Reloaded, a high grossing film, was sued by a woman who said she came up with that whole concept first in her novel, which most people never read. And guess what she one that lawsuit.
2 years agoby @newkill200Flag
Newkill3000
No, your wrong. Cameron, rewrote his project in 2006, and Delgo was in production since 1998.
2 years agoby @newkill200Flag
flydebs54
Yes, the maker of the biggest grossing film of all time is going to steal from the lowest grossing wide release film of all time.
This makes perfect sense.
2 years agoby @flydebs54Flag
ZanyZap
F*ck Delgo.
And I thought Avatar was Cameron's dream project; one that he's been working on for years, centuries, if I'm correct. Shouldn't he be suing the director and his little delgo?
2 years agoby @zanyzapFlag