James Cameron was inspired to create Avatar after witnessing the groundbreaking CGI effects in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), particularly the character Gollum.
He believed that by that point, CGI technology had advanced sufficiently to bring his vision of Pandora and its inhabitants to life convincingly. Cameron was convinced that with the progress made in digital effects, he could craft a fully immersive world filled with realistic alien creatures and environments. This realization motivated him to push the boundaries of visual effects, leading to the development of new techniques and technologies that would make Avatar a milestone in filmmaking.
His confidence in CGI's potential was a key factor in the film’s ambitious scope and groundbreaking visual achievements.
