Before the first Avatar movie was released in 2009, Avatar the band had already formed in Sweden. Like many, many other people, the Avatar members did indeed see Avatar, which became the #1 highest-grossing film of all time and spawned multiple sequels.
“We went to the first one as a band and watched as a gag,” frontman Johannes Eckerström tells ABC Audio.
While Eckerström is a big fan of director James Cameron, Avatar didn’t hit him in quite the same way as his other films.
“I love the Terminator movies, I love The Abyss, I like True Lies,” Eckerström says. “Once I stopped being 11 years old and angry at the girls in class and therefore actually watched Titanic, it’s amazing.”
He adds, “When it comes to James Cameron fandom, it would’ve been more appropriate for us to be called Terminator 2.”
Though Avatar the band predates Avatar the movies, Eckerström is prepared for any legal action.
“Part of us was joking about if we get a cease and desist or whatever, then we would change our name to Terminator 2,” Eckerström says. “And they would go, ‘No!,’ then we would be called The Abyss. Then we would work through his other film titles.”
If you have a more favorable opinion of the Avatar franchise, the third movie in the series, Avatar: Fire and Ash, premieres in theaters Friday.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Avatar: Fire and Ash distributor 20th Century Studios.
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