The Abyss Gets Brand New Trailer For Stunning Restoration Of James Cameron Classic

By Britta DeVore | Published

James Cameron has long enjoyed taking audiences deep below the ocean’s surface and revealing to them a world that few will ever reach. With productions like his Avatar franchise and Titanic, the award-winning filmmaker has continuously pushed the boundaries of how to incorporate his love for deep-sea exploration with cinema. Now, audiences will be treated to a one-night-only event that will see his Academy Award-winning title, The Abyss, in theaters, with a trailer teasing the glorious 4K restoration mastered for the big screen.

The dazzling trailer sees a diver going into The Abyss with incredible shots of the ocean surrounding them. Centered around a team of oil workers who get sucked into helping with the search and rescue team of an American submarine, the film follows the harrowing journey of the team who are severely lacking in the skills necessary to carry out the task at hand. While working quickly on the ocean floor, the crew stumbles upon a creature that – to some brings peace, and to others, panic. 

A classic piece of sci-fi in the years before CGI took special effects by hold, The Abyss restored trailer promises to impress audiences even more so than when the film first graced screens in 1989. This is saying a lot as the production took home the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and was nominated for three others including Best Art Direction and Best Sound.

james cameron
The Abyss

Kicking things back with the classic cast, the restoration will not only pour new light, depth, and color into The Abyss but it will also transport its stars back to their younger years. Included in the leading cast are Ed Harris (The Truman Show), Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (The Perfect Storm), Michael Biehn (The Terminator), John Bedford Llyod (Super Troopers), Leo Burmester (The Last Temptation of Christ), Todd Graff (Camp), and Kimberly Scott (Batman Forever).

A favorite among sci-fi fans and the dedicated base that James Cameron had already built from previous projects including The Terminator and Aliens, audiences turned out in droves to make the film a financial success. Against its $43-47 million production budget, The Abyss raked in $90 million at the worldwide box office, with the number expected to soar even higher with the upcoming 4K release.

Following his work in The Abyss, it would be almost a full decade before James Cameron would return to a tale from the ocean with Titanic arriving in 1997 after the release of 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day and 1994’s True Lies. While the director has managed to mold a slew of cross-genre stories with his vision behind the camera, he remains at the top of his game when he’s focused on the sea. Such can be seen from his current lineup of projects, which include the third and fourth installments in the Avatar franchise, a project that he holds near and dear to his heart.

To dive in and catch The Abyss while it’s back in theaters with a stunning 4K restoration, be sure to check your local theater for showings. The updated adventure arrives for a one-night-only viewing event on December 6.