“Avatar: The Way of Water” has taken 13 years to be released in theaters and now we are only a few days away from being able to witness it on the big screen. But far from its controversial development time and its duration of three hours, there was another issue that also generated controversy: the using a default Word font in your logo. What is the story behind and what did James Cameron say 13 years later?
Papyrus, Ryan Gosling’s obsession
After the success of the first film about the world of Pandora in 2009, it took a while for someone to notice a curiosity: the font of the “Avatar” logo was called Papyrus and anyone with Microsoft Word could easily emulate it.
The discovery was made by “Saturday night live”, which released a short film starring Ryan Gosling in which he mocked the use of this default font in one of the most used programs in the world.
In the short, Ryan’s character lives outraged and obsessed with the film’s logo and believes that it is an act of laziness on the part of the designer, so he goes looking for him to confront him.
The Payrus font can still be found in newer versions of Microsoft Word. Photo: Youtube/SNL capture
The witty fiction not only sparked comments on social networks to the point of making it a recurring joke about the film, but also led the designer to clarify the matter in question.
Cameron’s response 13 years later
After 13 years, “Avatar: The Way of Water” already has another logo, but James Cameron has not missed the opportunity to finally talk about Papyrus.
“Avatar” logos for their first and second movies. Photo: Composition/Disney
“I didn’t know our font was something standard. I assumed the Art Department or the title company made it up. Of course, it was mercilessly criticized as a lazy choice, but frankly, I like the font, ”he explained.
He also stated that “if Papyrus resonates with the problems of indigenous cultures in the public consciousness, then that fits well with ‘Avatar’so I’m not losing sleep because of that”.
The Biblical Origin of the “Avatar” Logo
Chris Cotello, who was responsible for the use of Papyrus in the “Avatar” logo, spoke about the parody with CBS News the same year the SNL parody aired and admitted that he had burst out laughing watching it with his wife.
“Avatar” was released in 2009 and was a box office success, to the point of becoming the highest-grossing film in history. Photo: 20th Century Studios
“I designed the font when I was 23 years old. I left the university and I had various problems, I was studying the Bible, looking for God and this source came to my mind, ”he said.
“Avatar: the path of water” opens on December 15 in Peru and the 16 in the United States.
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