Cameron To Direct First Movie In 10 Years

James Cameron is to make new movie Avatar, his first film since 1997's Oscar-winning blockbuster Titanic.

Fox Filmed Entertainment has confirmed Cameron is to start virtual photography on the sci-fi epic in April 2007, followed by live-action work in August 2007, ahead of a summer 2009 release.

Cameron has also written the screenplay for the movie, which tells the story of a wounded marine who is sent to the faraway planet of Pandora against his wishes, and finds himself caught up in a battle of survival with the planet's inhabitants.

The 52-year-old has spent years researching and developing the new filming techniques needed to create the movie's $190 million hybrid of action and animation, and he claims he's been "the busiest unemployed director in Hollywood".

He vows, "We're going to blow you to the back wall of the theatre in a way you haven't seen for a long time. My goal is to rekindle those amazing mystical moments my generation felt when we first saw 2001: A Space Odyssey or the next generation's Star Wars. It took me 10 years to find something hard enough to be interesting."