For the IMAX buffs who noticed that there’s a chasm in the late summer 2010 release calendar, rest assured that a film has been penciled in for an August release… make that a re-release. James Cameron revealed to the Los Angeles Times that Avatar will once again soar upon the giant screen, this time with up to ten minutes of new footage, much of which to be done with Weta Digital (a New Zealand digital effects company co-founded by Peter Jackson). Cynics may moan this is just a move by Cameron to allow the top-grossing film of all-time to make a few million more… and they might be 100% correct.

“We were sold out of our Imax performances right up to the moment until they were contractually obligated to switch to Alice in Wonderland,” Cameron explained to the Times, “so we know we left money on the table there. And the 3-D really helped Avatar right up until the moment that it hurt it. And it hurt it at the moment Alice… and then How to Train Your Dragon and Clash of the Titans came in and sucked up all the 3-D screens.”

However, those less cynical are poised to relish in the opportunity to see a film that, while it holds up fine on DVD and Blu-ray, is best enjoyed on a large screen with a group of people.

“I think Avatar is kind of a unique category where people are enjoying the unique theatrical experience even though they may have seen it on the small screen,” Cameron also said. “They want to have that immersive, transportive experience. 2001: A Space Odyssey played for three years at the Loews cinema in Toronto. I remember that. It just kept playing. People wanted to return to that experience. That may not be the best example because I think 2001 took 25 years to break even.”

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