The King of the World

AP Photo/20th Century Fox

Call him the "King of the World" -- or, at the least, "King of the Box Office." James Cameron, the director behind 1997's mega-blockbuster "Titanic," is now releasing a film he's been waiting to make his whole life. "Avatar," his upcoming 3D science-fiction fantasy, embodies his childhood love of imaginary creatures and his obsession with pushing the envelope.

AP Photo/Twentieth Century Fox

Sam Worthington is shown in a scene from "Avatar," a 3-D epic about humans taking on the forms of extraterrestrials to explore a distant word. "Avatar" is the first fictional film Cameron has directed since 1997's "Titantic," which starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winset and remains the highest-grossing film of all time.

Actress Sigourney Weaver, right, and James Cameron arrive for a luncheon in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009. After seeing the original "Star Wars" film in 1977, Cameron quit his job as a truck driver to enter the film industry. His first box-office hit was 1984's "The Terminator," which was inspired by a nightmare Cameron says he had about an invincible robot hitman sent from the future to kill him.

In addition to the first and second "Terminator" films, James Cameron has also directed memorable films such as "Aliens," "The Abyss," "True Lies" and "Titanic."

James Cameron speaks during a news conference regarding digital and 3D film at Showest in Las Vegas, Thursday, March 17, 2005.

After directing a string of feature films, James Cameron turned his focus to documentaries and 3D digital technology. Some of those projects include the IMAX 3D documentaries "Ghosts of the Abyss" and "Aliens of the Deep." He also created and co-produced the science-fiction television series "Dark Angel," which premiered in 2000 and lasted two seasons, and produced the 2002 George Clooney film "Solaris."

James Cameron, right, poses with American actor and narrator Bill Paxton, during the photo call for his film “Ghost of the Abyss,” which was shown out of competition at the 56th Film Festival in Cannes, southeastern France, Sunday, May 18, 2003.

James Cameron, far left, and the film's director Steven Soderbergh, far right, pose with cast members George Clooney and Natascha McElhone at the premiere of "Solaris" at the Pacific Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2002.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in a scene from 1997's "Titanic." The film, which still holds the title of the highest-grossing film of all time, earned Cameron three Oscars -- Best Editing, Best Director and Best Picture. It won 11 Oscars overall.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in a scene from James Cameron's 1997 film "Titanic." After "Titanic," Cameron took time off from directing fictional films and focused mainly on documentaries. 2009's "Avatar" marks his return to feature films.

James Cameron, center, poses with actors Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio after winning the awards for Best Dramatic Motion Picture and Best Director for the film "Titanic" at the 55th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 18, 1998.