'Avatar' director James Cameron said he pushed back on changes the studio wanted by reminding it that his 'Titanic' paid for a 'new half-billion dollar complex'

• "Avatar" director James Cameron told NYT how he pushed back against proposed studio changes.
• He reminded the studio, 20th Century Fox at the time, that he also made "Titanic."

Never underestimate James Cameron.

That was Cameron's suggestion to the studio when he was making "Avatar," his 2009 sci-fi hit that is currently the highest-grossing movie of all time (when not adjusting for inflation).

Cameron told The New York Times that he reminded 20th Century Fox of how much money his "Titanic" earned when pushing back on studio notes (the Fox film studio has since been acquired by Disney and is now 20th Century Studios).

"The studio felt that the film should be shorter and that there was too much flying around on the ikran — what the humans call the banshees," Cameron said. "Well, it turns out that's what the audience loved the most, in terms of our exit polling and data gathering."

As far as length goes, "Titanic" is over three hours long, while "Avatar" is 160 minutes, or just over two-and-a-half hours.

Cameron added: "And that's a place where I just drew a line in the sand and said, 'You know what? I made "Titanic." 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. I feel that my job is to protect their investment, often against their own judgment. But as long as I protect their investment, all is forgiven."

"Titanic," which Cameron also directed and was released by Fox internationally (and by Paramount domestically), grossed $2.2 billion worldwide after it was released in 1997. It was the biggest movie ever — until "Avatar" topped it 12 years later.

"Avengers: Endgame" briefly took the crown from "Avatar" in 2019, but "Avatar" reclaimed its spot at the top after a rerelease in China last year.

"Avatar" has grossed over $2.8 billion globally and is set to return to theaters this weekend ahead of the release of its long-awaited sequel, "Avatar: The Way of Water," in December.