I Caught A 2001: A Space Odyssey Reference In Avatar: Fire And Ash, And I Asked James Cameron About It

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Major spoilers for Avatar: Fire and Ash lie ahead.

A standout feature of the Avatar films is the incredibly detailed world of Pandora, brought to life by James Cameron. The newest movie, Fire and Ash, takes viewers even further into this fictional planet. A particularly memorable scene in the highly praised Fire and Ash—the first appearance of The Great Mother—actually shares a connection with the classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

When Kiri connected with The Great Mother and a large, purple baby appeared on screen, I immediately wanted to ask James Cameron about it during TopMob’s interview. He confirmed that the scene was indeed inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, and explained how that film influenced his vision for the moment.

Okay, so someone asked about the visual inspiration for this film, and it got me thinking. I’d told the team I wanted to capture that same otherworldly glow as the Star Baby from 2001: A Space Odyssey. But we took it in a different direction. In the film, this character seems to almost face the audience, and we really played with her environment. Her hair is flowing, but it’s not just hair – it’s like being underwater, surrounded by… well, we intentionally left it ambiguous. Is it leaves, seaweed, kelp, or something else entirely? It’s meant to be a mystery. And when you look closely at her face, you’re struck by this huge, singular eye – it’s a really striking image.

James Cameron’s comments suggest there’s a deeper history to the Ewya than what’s shown in Avatar: Fire And Ash. The Ewya is a complex, interconnected biological system that keeps the planet’s ecosystem in balance, and Kiri appears to have a uniquely strong link to it. Cameron also shared this insight:

I wanted to emphasize that this being is genuinely real – a true entity that exists, or can at least appear in a visible way. I’ve always been able to perceive the spirit world, which the Na’vi call the Oma. When they connect to it, they don’t necessarily communicate directly with this central being any more than I can instantly reach someone important online. I can send emails and visit websites, and those functions would all exist within the Oma. But just being in the Oma doesn’t mean I’d have a direct line to someone like the President or the Pope – there are still layers and processes involved.

I’m absolutely fascinated by how James Cameron keeps expanding the Avatar universe. It’s incredible to watch Pandora itself develop and change as a living world. He’s clearly drawing inspiration from the original film – it’s one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made, after all! He actually shared with me that this particular moment is a hint of things to come, a peek at the mysteries he’s planning to unravel in future Avatar films.

Kiri clearly has a special connection with The Great Mother, though we don’t yet know why. Their relationship is complicated by a secret – The Great Mother is keeping something from Kiri, which the movie doesn’t reveal. We were also setting things up for future stories, and if we don’t get to tell them, I’ll publicly share what we had planned.

The director is eager to explore the dynamic between The Great Mother and Kiri in future films. He feels creatively prepared to begin work on Avatar 4 and 5, but wants to see how the current movie performs worldwide before committing. He also has a couple of other projects he’d like to pursue. Cameron has stated that the sequel needs to be incredibly profitable – a huge financial success – to justify further investment.

I’m curious to see if Spider’s ability to connect with the Na’vi network will affect the spiritual force of Eywa, or The Great Mother, in future films. While Spider had a seemingly positive experience with Eywa at the end of Fire and Ash, James Cameron has hinted at deeper mysteries. I’m especially hoping we’ll learn more about The Great Mother beyond that brief, almost dreamlike, sequence. It remains to be seen if another Avatar movie will be announced soon.

See Avatar: Fire and Ash in movie theaters now! You can also rewatch the original Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water by streaming them on Disney+.

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2025-12-21 16:09