Fans hoping to get an autograph from director James Cameron following a special screening of Avatar: The Way of Water didn't get the John Hancock they wanted when he exited the WGA in Beverly Hills, California.
However, what they did eventually got from the Academy Award-winning director was the middle finger.
It didn't take long for disappointed fans to boo and jeer at Cameron for the snub and turn on him by criticizing the movie.
In response to the backlash, Cameron flipped the bird as he was being driven off.
The clash was all caught in a TikTok video that was shared by the Culture Crave Twitter account.
\u201cJames Cameron flips off crowd who boos him for not signing autographs \n\n#AvatarTheWayOfWater \n\u201d— Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f (@Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f) 1671406477
\u201c@GJASD01 @CultureCrave James Cameron to his own fans\n\n#TheWayofMid\u201d— Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f (@Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f) 1671406477
People had some thoughts about his rude gesture.
\u201c@CultureCrave he needs to be humbled who does he think he is, btw NWH and infinity war better than anything hes ever directed\u201d— Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f (@Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f) 1671406477
\u201c@CultureCrave Ahh, yes. His elite attitude on full display right there. He didn't even LOOK at the crowd. Fans need to show him that THEY ARE THE REASON for his wealth and success. Hit him in the wallet and don't give him a penny of your money, guys. Let Avatar sink at the box office!\u201d— Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f (@Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f) 1671406477
\u201c@CultureCrave I totally get not wanting to sign anything. He isn't obligated to do so, but he didn't have to do what he did. It just made him look so much worse than those entitled fans already thought of him.\u201d— Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f (@Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f) 1671406477
\u201c@CultureCrave He has no obligation to sign anything, yet he also shouldn't flip off his fans. The man literally has the largest ego out of any director I've ever seen. He comes across as someone who prioritizes profit over passion and that's exactly the problem with the film industry.\u201d— Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f (@Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f) 1671406477
Others sided with the director and suggested he owes fans nothing.
\u201c@CultureCrave A man doesn\u2019t have to sign anything just because you throw a paper n pen in his face\u201d— Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f (@Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f) 1671406477
\u201c@CultureCrave I speak for everyone when I say we stand with the fans\u201d— Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f (@Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f) 1671406477
\u201c@CultureCrave Me to all avatar haters:\u201d— Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f (@Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f) 1671406477
Some people thought the negative behavior from the fans indicated members of the booing crowd were more interested in exploiting Cameron's autograph for profit.
\u201c@CultureCrave Those are ppl who just want to resell the autographs\u201d— Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f (@Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f) 1671406477
\u201c@jim_jack19755 @CultureCrave "We love the money we can make off your signature!"\n\nJames Cameron: \ud83d\udd95\n\nThe man's busy. He got places he has to be. He flipped them off because they were booing him because they're entitled. James Cameron W\u201d— Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f (@Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f) 1671406477
\u201c@CultureCrave I'm not even a fan of his, but I get that those weren't fans as much as they were re-sellers. "The bird" may not have been the classiest move...but I get it.\u201d— Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f (@Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f) 1671406477
\u201c@CultureCrave Those are 1000% autograph hounds and not fans. They are at every premiere and celebrity event hounding the talent. They have pieces of cardboard behind each photo so they don't bend when they're being signed and they can resell them. They're professionals.\u201d— Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f (@Culture Crave \ud83c\udf7f) 1671406477
Cameron is known to be a feisty and impatient director in Hollywood.
But he can also call them as he sees them.
He recently commented on Leonardo DiCaprio's negative attitude in the past, saying that the young actor almost lost out on the role to play Jack Dawson in 1997's Titanic due to his cockiness in the audition room.
Maybe Cameron wasn't feeling particularly chummy on Saturday night due to Avatar 2's opening weekend numbers.
Or perhaps he was annoyed by the jeering crowd because he knew they weren't his real fans
According to Deadline, Avatar: The Way of Water–which cost $350 million to make–fell below the domestic box office prediction range of $150M-$175M on its opening weekend.
However, strong word of mouth and positive reviews could prove beneficial for its long-term success.
With a positive CinemaScore of 91% and 5 stars on ComScore/Screen Engine PostTrak, Avatar 2's future is looking bright.
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