NBC
In 2009, James Cameron invited moviegoers to transport themselves to the mystical world of Pandora when the sensation that was Avatar debuted on the big screen to kick off the theatrical run that saw the movie rake in over $2.9 billion when everything was said and done.
Despite the best efforts of Avengers: Endgame, that sum is still the number to beat at the all-time box office close to 13 years after its initial release—and I’d argue the only thing more impressive than that monumental feat is the virtually nonexistent impact the highest-grossing movie in cinematic history managed to have on pop culture in the long run.
There’s no doubt Cameron deserves a ton of credit for creating an almost unparalleled three-dimensional visual spectacle. However, that impressive facade could only do so much to distract from a story that was very familiar to viewers who’d already seen Pocahontas or FernGully: The Last Rainforest and featured an almost entirely forgettable cast of characters (I challenge you to name a single member of the Na’Vi or any human who isn’t Sully).
That lack of staying power only added to the already random nature of a sketch that aired when Ryan Gosling hosted Saturday Night Live in 2017, as the actor was the star of a phenomenal video short that centered around a man who saw his life consumed by the unending quest to unravel one of the great mysteries of the universe: the fact that the Papyrus font—a staple of “hookah bars, Shakira merch, and off-brand teas”—was used as the basis for the Avatar logo.
It took over five years, but according to SlashFilm, Cameron addressed that decision in an interview with Total Film ahead of the release of Avatar: The Way of Water where he defended the creative choice he presumably wasn’t even aware of prior to the SNL sketch, saying:
“I was not aware that our font was an off-the-shelf thing; I assumed the art department or the title company came up with it. Of course, it was trolled mercilessly as a lazy choice, but frankly, I like the font.”
The director also ran the risk of pulling something by stretching about as far as possible while attempting to spin the use of Papyrus as potentially conducive to his mission to call attention to the plight of indigenous peoples around the globe:
“If Papyrus resonates with the issues of Indigenous cultures in the public consciousness, then that fits well with Avatar, so I’m not losing any sleep over it.”
That might be a bit of a leap, but I can’t knock the hustle.