While James Cameron was already a successful director before helming Titanic back in 1997, but it was the movie about that doomed ship that catapulted his career into the stratosphere and made him the self-proclaimed "king of the world." Given that fact, and the amount of time Cameron has spent poking around underwater over the past few decades, this news shouldn't come as a surprise. THR says that Cameron will be indulging his Titanic obsession once more, this time for the National Geographic Channel. He'll be directing a two-hour documentary about the ship, timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Titanic tragedy.Cameron's Titanic credentials extend beyond just directing a movie about it. THR points out that he has made more than two dozen dives down to the wreckage. The special, entitled Titanic: Final Word with James Cameron, will use cutting-edge new technology to learn even more about why exactly the ocean liner sank (for those of you looking for something more specific than "big damn iceberg"). Michael Cascio, the executive vp of programming for National Geographic Channel, is tight-lipped about what new discoveries the special might unveil, but hints that "some could alter the accepted facts about why the 'unsinkable' ship sank."
Cascio had this to say about Cameron's passion for the Titanic:
[Cameron] is a freak about the Titanic ... He is obsessed with trying to find out why exactly it sank. He’s actually comparing his research with his film to see what we’ve learned since then and what can advance the story.
In addition to Final Word, National Geographic Channel will also air Save the Titanic, a new documentary that looks at current threats to the preservation of the Titanic's wreckage. It will be hosted by Dr. Bob Ballard, an expert who was one of the original team that discovered the Titanic wreckage site in 1985. Both specials will air in April 2012.
