James Cameron isn’t known for having the cuddliest vibe. But in 2022, he’s trying to tone it down. Cameron even refrained from wearing his iconique “HMFIC” ball cap on the set of Avatar 2. “This is the kinder, gentler me,” he told the New York Times. This is the mellow, Zen nice guy, sensitive to everybody’s needs and emotional requirements. No microaggressions here.” But in order to get Avatar made, he had to do some macroaggressing. 


The studio didn’t understand Cameron’s vision, all the mighty ikran-riding, and the run time. So he had to remind them that this was the House That Jim Built. “I just drew a line in the sand and said, ‘You know what? I made Titanic,’” he said. “‘This building that we’re meeting in right now, this new half-billion dollar complex on your lot? Titanic paid for that, so I get to do this.’ And afterward, they thanked me.” Not since Troy “My good looks paid for that pool. and my talent filled it with water” McClure has that particular power move been pulled with such panache. And hey, it all worked out for 20th Century.