DVD aims to save the planet James Cameron’s “Avatar”

DVD aims to save the planet James Cameron’s “Avatar” BY SEAN O’CONNELL

“Avatar” director James Cameron and his producer, Jon Landau, presented scenes from the film’s upcoming Blu-ray release yesterday in Los Angeles, and used the opportunity to map out their initiative to plant 1 million trees in honor of the film’s DVD release on Earth Day.

“Avatar” will be available on DVD and Blu-ray beginning April 22.

“We wanted the best presentation of any film in the history of the Blu-ray and DVD formats,” said Landau. “Our launch into the home in April will allow fans to return to Pandora again and again.”

Fox has announced, however, that an ultimate edition release – with immersive bonus materials – is slated for November. But a new effort dubbed “The Avatar Program” will try and bridge the separate release dates with an interactive consumer experience that offers an online hub for exclusive content, discounts and more.

Through a unique code found inside the AVATAR Blu-ray/DVD, consumers can register for the program at www.avatarmovie.com and gain exclusive access to first-look bonus materials, special content, money saving offers and much more.

And in the spirit of the film’s messages of conservation and ecological harmony, 20th Century Fox and Earth Day Network, together with various organizations worldwide, have pledged to plant one million trees across the globe by the end of 2010.

Additionally, fans enrolled in the “Avatar Program” will be able to adopt one of trees and receive a virtual hometree they can locate on a map to see where it’s actually planted.

Other “Avatar” digital initiatives include:

● “Pandorama” – Via a computer’s webcam users can immerse themselves into the world of Pandora, inserting themselves into different locations from the movie and interacting with the elements in each; users can snap postcards and share amongst friends only at www.pandorama.avatarmovie.com

● “Pandorapedia” – The official guide to the world of Pandora and James Cameron’s AVATAR, fans enter a world beyond imagination with hundreds of facts on Pandora that can be accessed online at www.pandorapedia.com

● “Immersive Trailer” – The first-ever interactive trailer allows fans to click on any part of the video to explore detail frame-by-frame and in-context “hot spots” that will offer meticulous information on characters, locations and more

● “Interactive Desktop Wallpaper” – Instant access to all things AVATAR including newsfeeds, videos, social network updates and exclusive content that is updated automatically right on your desktop

“I am pleased to have the opportunity to share the environmental messages from ‘Avatar’ through the efforts during the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day and with Earth Day Network,” said Cameron. “Earth Day Network’s commitment and actions to promote a healthy, sustainable planet go hand-in-hand with the themes of (my movie).”