James Cameron started buying property in New Zealand in 2012, when he was writing the Avatar sequels (that no one asked for) and knew he’d be filming them with the visual effects infrastructure set up by Peter Jackson and Weta Digital in Wellington. Ten years later Avatar 2: The Way of Water was released and managed to squeak past the $2 billion profit line Cameron needed to break even (the film ended up grossing $2.32 billion worldwide). Between spending so much time in New Zealand (the third Avatar is in post-production) and being a self-styled “environmental advocate,” Cameron is now selling his Santa Barbara ranch for a measly $33 million:
Some stats on the ranch: James Cameron and wife, Suzy Amis Cameron, are selling their longtime oceanfront California ranch for $33 million. The roughly 100-acre property was purchased by the “Titanic” director in 1999 for $4.37 million, records show… Located on the Gaviota Coast of Santa Barbara County, Cameron told the Wall Street Journal they were letting go of their beloved estate, known as Hollister Ranch, since they spend most of their time in New Zealand. The main house occupies over 8,000-square-feet and comes with five bedrooms and six bathrooms, and is surrounded by various hiking trails. The estate also contains a 2,000-square-foot guesthouse and a tennis court. There is also a 24,000-square-foot equestrian barn, which Cameron said has been used to store a helicopter and various other vehicles, sometimes working on submarines there for his famous underwater expeditions.
Forget all your troubles, forget all your cares: Cameron initially purchased the property to find a more rural, agricultural property to escape their Malibu lifestyle. “As you drive along that coastal road, the cares of the world go away,” Cameron told The Journal. After buying the house, they spent years renovating and remodeling the space. “The previous owner had had a lot of marble,” the director said. “We brought it back down to something that felt connected to the land.” Additional features include a large, lagoon-style pool, surrounded by palm trees, which Cameron described as having “a Hawaiian resort kind of feel to it.”
At least this cuts down on the maintenance costs: Meanwhile, the property is power and water independent. Solar and wind power total up to 100 kilowatts and holds enough storage to stay off-grid indefinitely. There are two wells for agricultural uses and another that supplies drinking water. “I think if the world ends, it’s going to end everywhere, so we’ve got to work pretty hard to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Cameron told the outlet. “But in terms of short-term shocks, where you do want to make sure that your family’s secure, this would be a good place to weather a storm.”
He’s saving the planet by going from 6 to 5 properties: Meanwhile, the Camerons own about 5,000 acres of land in New Zealand and 10,000 acres in Canada’s Saskatchewan, where they are developing new hybrids for fava beans and plant-based proteins. They also spend time in L.A., near the director’s studio space in Manhattan Beach, and Austin, Texas, where he also sometimes shoots. The pair also have a home in Crested Butte, Colo. “We don’t believe in having a gigantic carbon footprint,” James Cameron said. “So we felt it was time to pass the baton to somebody else. One major criticism, especially if you’re seen as a high-visibility, or high-net-worth person is, ‘Oh, you’ve got all these properties all over the place. That’s not very sustainable.’ We’re trying to walk the walk of sustainability.”
“I think if the world ends, it’s going to end everywhere, so we’ve got to work pretty hard to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Cameron told the outlet. “But in terms of short-term shocks, where you do want to make sure that your family’s secure, this would be a good place to weather a storm.” That should be the entire real estate listing, period. No acreage, nothing about pools and private beach access, just “this is the perfect home for surviving an apocalypse dress rehearsal.” Oy gevolt.
Cameron can be hit or miss with his comments, but so many of his quotes here had me laughing/eye rolling. “As you drive along that coastal road, the cares of the world go away.” Yeah, I think the money helps with that too, James. And what’s with the aversion to marble? But the kicker is at the end when he tries to make the sale be about sustainability–did he not realize that a journalist would confirm the total number of homes he has? Not including the ranch up for sale, Cameron still has four properties in North America, and he says they mainly live in New Zealand. But they’re walking the walk!
So, who’s ready to make an offer?
photos credit: Avalon.red and via Instagram
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