Cameron returns to New Zealand for Avatar sequels

James Cameron and producer Jon Landau have returned to New Zealand to resume filming the Avatar sequels, amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Production was halted on multiple Avatar sequels in March due to the pandemic. New Zealand has endorsed Covid-19 safety procedures for film and television productions to follow. Cameron and Landau arrived wearing face shields and masks and will isolate for 14 days before returning to work.

“Made it to New Zealand. Our 14-day government supervised self-isolation now begins,” Landau said on Instagram, alongside a photo of himself and Cameron. The first Avatar film was released in 2009. Avatar 2 is set to hit theatres on December 17, 2021. Three sequel films will then be released the weekend before Christmas every other year with the final instalment arriving in December 2027.

Crayola launches skin tone crayons

‘Colours of the World’, a set of new crayons from Crayola, will “authentically reflect the full spectrum of human complexions”, with brand bosses saying, “every child should be able to creatively and accurately colour themselves into the world they see around them.”

The 24-pack offers a wide range of ‘light to deep shades’, as well as undertones like ‘rose’, ‘almond’ and ‘golden’. A 32-pack includes eight shades for eyes and hair, with both products hitting shelves in July and being sold exclusively at Walmart.

The company enlisted a skin tone expert for the eight-month-long project, working with MAC Chief Chemist and Cover FX co-founder Victor Casale.

Victor said he was ‘thrilled’ to be involved as he knew what it was like to not feel ‘recognised’.

‘Superhero’ masks for children

An Irish illustrator, Will Sliney, who has worked on Spider-Man and Star Wars comics, has designed ‘superhero’ face masks for children flying with EasyJet aircraft, a British low-cost airline.

It is to help youngsters feel more relaxed on journeys after the airline resumes flights soon with strict safety protocols for passengers and crew to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The masks feature lion and pilot designs, and are to be worn over the top of a young traveller’s own face mask.

Sliney added: “Flying with face masks is going to be a new experience for everyone, especially young children, so I hope these fun designs, inspired by comic book characters, help to encourage kids to wear their masks onboard.”

Published in Dawn, Young World, June 13th, 2020