James Cameron Is (Finally) Releasing The Abyss: Special Edition Remastered In 4K In Theaters This December
Most of the moviegoing population is probably under the assumption that "Titanic" was director James Cameron's first seafaring movie, but they'd be wrong! That honor goes to "The Abyss," the 1989 sci-fi flick that went on to garner four Academy Award nominations and win the Oscar for Best Visual Effects. (Okay, fine, it actually goes to 1982's horrific "Piranha II: The Spawning," but be prepared for every Cameron fan to shove you into a locker if you try to make that case). The only drawback of "The Abyss," however, is that its availability has long been a matter of concern among film enthusiasts. Years ago, /Film covered the rumors that the movie would finally come to Blu-ray and 4K after only being available on DVD. Last we heard, this was still the plan ... but now we're hearing from the man, myth, and legend himself that fans will finally get the chance to watch the movie exactly the way Cameron intended it — on the big screen and through the fabled Special Edition.
Cameron announced the news himself on Twitter (now known as X, if you're into that) to immediate celebrations on social media. Here's what the director had to say about this long-awaited development:
I'm excited for you to experience The Abyss: Special Edition, now remastered in 4K, only in theaters on December 6. pic.twitter.com/3BxySSMcJU
— James Cameron (@JimCameron) November 13, 2023
"I'm excited to announce that the Special Edition of 'The Abyss,' which we remastered in 4K, is going to be presented in theaters this December. If you haven't seen the film before, this is the way to experience it. And if you have, you'll be seeing the film I actually set out to make, with some big surprises not seen in the original released version. I hope you'll take advantage of seeing 'The Abyss,' my first ocean film, back in theaters."
It's about time
For far too long, fans of one of James Cameron's lesser-known films have had to settle for some less-than-ideal circumstances in order to watch "The Abyss." Starring an ensemble cast made up of Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Leo Burmester, Todd Graff, John Bedford Lloyd, and more, the movie follows a group of search-and-recovery divers (along with a ragtag crew of oil riggers) who race to the bottom of the Caribbean to locate a sunken American submarine ... only to come across something far more otherworldly. The groundbreaking special effects secured the film's place in history, though it didn't experience nearly the same levels of theatrical success that Cameron was known for after "Aliens" and "The Terminator."
Far from a flop, however, "The Abyss" inspired its own devoted fanbase and today's news only further emphasizes how much of a market there is for this Cameron film. The only drawback is that this special screening will be a one-night-only event, arriving in theaters on December 6, 2023. Tickets will go on sale on November 20 and 20th Century Studios released a new trailer to hype up the screening, which you can see above. Anytime a Cameron movie is playing in theaters is an occasion to celebrate, new or old, so you won't want to miss out on this rare opportunity.
In this underwater sci-fi adventure written and directed by James Cameron, a nuclear sub mysteriously sinks and a private oil rig crew, led by foreman Bud Brigman (Ed Harris), is recruited to join a team of Navy SEALs on a search and rescue effort. The group soon finds themselves on a spectacular life-and-death odyssey 25,000 feet below the ocean's surface, where they find a mysterious force that could either change the world — or destroy it.