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Avatar 2 officially titled Avatar: The Way Of Water, releasing in NA on December 16

HoodWinked

Member
Seems crazy to me that you'd see this in 2D. The underwater scenes in 3D was the best part. Especially the cockpit views in the underwater vehicles.
 
Did the 3D also suffer a bit from muted colors or is that fixed in todays cinemas?
That depends on your local cinema. The hard drives come with instructions and calibration tools for the projectionist. Some don't follow them because replacement lamps are expensive, and the brighter they run the shorter they last. This is part of the Avatar 2 instructions:


SCREEN BRIGHTNESS - Finally, Jim has custom color graded his movie to run at several 3D light levels to get the best out of every theater’s capability. He’s offering 3D DCP’s for screening at 4 foot-lamberts, 6 foot-lamberts, and even 14 foot-lamberts. The brighter the light, the better the 3D, but your theater must be capable of running at that given light level. A 4 FL DCP shown at 4 foot-lamberts will look terrific, but a 6 FL DCP screened at 4 foot-lamberts will look dim. We’re hoping that as many of your projectors as possible can show the brighter 3D (It’s amazing!) but select the DCP for each theater that matches what that system can comfortably achieve and then run it at that brightness.

...


FRAMING - When setting the projector’s image size and adjusting the screen’s masking, the tips of the YELLOW ARROWS and the YELLOW LINES must be visible on the screen regardless of any key stoning. If the YELLOW ARROW in the lower center of the chart is not visible, sub-titles may be cut off. Once the framing is properly adjusted, move on to set the screen brightness.
LIGHT LEVEL & SCREEN BRIGHTNESS - The correct light level is CRITICAL to a great 3D presentation! The Framing Chart DCP can be used to measure for 4 FL 3D, 6FL-XBrite 3D and 14 FL-FullLite 3D. Maintaining the correct light level for the DCP matched to your theater’s projection system will result in the best possible viewing experience for your audience. Please follow the set-up instructions below.
When measuring the screen’s luminance, first turn off any unnecessary lights in the auditorium and the projection booth. Next, with the Alignment Chart projecting in 3D (pause to make it easy), use the white circle in the center to measure and then set your projector’s light output. Measure from the center of the theater with one lens from your 3D glasses in front of your light meter and with the 3D system (Expand, RealD Z-Screen, RealD XL) engaged on the projector, then adjust the projector light level to the correct brightness for your theater - 4 FL, 6 FL or 14 FL.
Please confirm that your lamp is flicker free, with at least 600 hours of life remaining. If possible, please install a new lamp at the beginning of the engagement and have at least 20 hours of use prior to your first presentation. Please check light settings daily – it will make a huge difference!
3-D PHASE - After the framing and light are set, please check for the correct phase of the 3-D picture so that the proper image gets to the proper eye during projection. While projecting our Alignment Chart in 3D and wearing 3D glasses, you should be able to see the the “L” with your left eye open and
 

Trumpets

Member
Did the 3D also suffer a bit from muted colors or is that fixed in todays cinemas?

That was my main problem with the viewing I saw. The 3D was great but I was effectively watching it through sunglasses and the brightness didn't seem to have been increased to compensate.
 

sankt-Antonio

:^)--?-<
My Atmos Cinema was dim as fuck. 3D also seemed to reduce motion clarity, don't know if the effect is really worth it. Will hopefully be a showcase 4k BD.
 
People seem to flock to the higher quality showings, the 3Ds/IMAX and thus the 2D showings aren't selling out as much.
I had to wait for 10 days after release for an available imax date during hours that I could attend and still had to travel to the furthest and less accessible imax within range.

I definitely think that's an issue, because the movie has both 3D and high framerate people want to see it properly, those screenings are full (2D are probably not full) but in having to wait these many days a lot of people will lose interest.

On another note, I believe normal media is not hyping it enough, there are no ads, no content placement that I've seen on tv and on the internet.

It's quite refreshing that this movie doesn't have a woke agenda as well.
My Atmos Cinema was dim as fuck. 3D also seemed to reduce motion clarity, don't know if the effect is really worth it. Will hopefully be a showcase 4k BD.
Not the case where I saw it.

3D was great, I wish tv sets at home were still at it.
 
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FunkMiller

Gold Member

sinnergy

Member
Haters 🤣 world changed .. COVID, Putin and what not .. blizzards, it makes lots of money , a lot , yet, these guys ride the hate train 🚂 u bet they have shitty lives /
 
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Aggelos

Member



While speaking to Variety, Avatar: The Way of Water writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver shone some light on the story of the upcoming third Avatar film.

Jaffa told the outlet that the dynamic between the Sullys (particularly Jake and Neytiri) and the Metkayina clan leaders, Ronal and Tonowari, will play a part in the sequel.

“There’s a lot going on between husbands and wives and between the two husbands and the two wives,” Jaffer stated. “There are a lot of dynamics set up that continue to play out.”

Silver elaborated, saying that fans “can’t imagine” the variety of different clans that will be shown in future Avatar films.

“You have this kind of deeply relatable series of dynamics, inter-family, interpersonal, inter-clan, played out on these incredibly inflated scales of different worlds,” she says. “The clans that you’re going to meet and the worlds that you’re going to find on Pandora — you can’t even imagine what they are. Just like the tulkun were a revelation for this movie, there’s lots more of that stuff to come. It’s incredibly exciting, the story that happens to the Sullys. You couldn’t predict it.”

Avatar: The Way of Water*is directed and co-written by James Cameron. It features the return of Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Joel David Moore, Dileep Rao, Stephen Lang, Matt Gerald, and Sigourney Weaver. Additional cast members*include Kate Winslet,*Edie Falco,*Michelle Yeoh,*Vin Diesel, Jemaine Clement, and Oona Chaplin, alongside a*slate of young actors.

“Set more than a decade after the events of the first film,*Avatar: The Way of Water*begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure,” says the official synopsis.
 

Chiggs

Gold Member
https://deadline.com/2022/12/box-of...bylon-puss-in-boots-the-last-wish-1235205786/

Avatar 2 continues to outperform estimates and thumb its nose at once-in-a-generation weather events and COVID.

Per rival distribution sources –not Disney– Avatar: The Way of Water is +8% to +10% over Sunday’s $29.5M which means a $31.9M to $32.4M Monday which means a $95.9M to $96.4M 4-day weekend. At the high-end, that could beat Rogue One‘s 4-day second weekend of $96.1M. Sequel’s revised cume at the high end would be $294.1M

Haters
🤣
world changed .. COVID, Putin and what not .. blizzards, it makes lots of money , a lot , yet, these guys ride the hate train
🚂
u bet they have shitty lives /

Well, at least we can sit back and laugh at them.

You guys ready to call it yet or nah?

You commented on numbers that were wrong/incomplete. 4 day total is 90+ million…and probably 95-96 million. Heck, even the 3-day numbers in that article you posted are wrong.

https://deadline.com/2022/12/box-of...bylon-puss-in-boots-the-last-wish-1235205786/
https://variety.com/2022/film/news/box-office-avatar-2-babylon-flops-christmas-1235472702/

And just think what it will do this week with the weather clearing and kids out of school. Oh, and New Year’s Day is observed by companies next Monday, which means one more strong day of weekday box office.
 
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Lunarorbit

Gold Member
How much has everyone been paying for tickets? I've seen a wide range of prices for 3d between $18-25. I know there's several formats so curious what everyone chose to see
 

Chiggs

Gold Member

I’d just like to point out that these numbers are domestic only, too. So consider WW box office and it’s easy to see why this will rival/exceed Top Gun: Maverick.

How much has everyone been paying for tickets? I've seen a wide range of prices for 3d between $18-25. I know there's several formats so curious what everyone chose to see

IMAX 3D was 15 bucks for me on discount Tuesday. Dolby Cinema HFR at launch was $18.50.
 
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Chiggs

Gold Member
Chiggs Chiggs it did better than projected but I still don't think it'll clear 2 billion might not even beat Top Gun anything less than $2 billion is a failure per Cameron.

Again, Cameron is most likely talking about the Avatar 2, 3, 4 and 5 combined costs. Industry sources have pegged Avatar 2’s budget at 460 million at the high end.

But since the VFX team has already created assets for the next couple of films, and filming was already completed for 3, Cameron is rolling costs together…probably trying to be boastful, but not realizing the impact he is having on the flip side.

Look at it this way:
  • Avatar 2: let’s say it grosses 1.5 billion
  • Avatar 3: let’s say it grosses 1.3 billion
  • Avatar 4: let’s say it grosses 1.1 billion
  • Avatar 5: let’s say it grosses 1 billion.
The 4 films alone clear well over 4 billion, and that’s not even factoring in rentals/home video.

The people putting these deals together aren’t morons. Avatar 2 will easily cross the 1 billion mark this week; it’s already outpacing Maverick.

There’s no chance it takes down Avatar 1 or Endgame, but like we’ve discussed…times have changed.
 
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SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
Amazing.

I was literally snowed in all weekend. Couldnt even clean my driveway until late afternoon yesterday when windchill finally slowed down to let the temps go above 1 degrees Fahrenheit. Im surprised people braved out that insane weather that was around -28 degrees for two straight days. In the midwest at least.

If anything, this proves that the movie will have legs. It might not hit $2 billion but this proves that Avatar was no fluke. That there ARE Avatar fans out there, and that James Cameron is the GOAT. No offense to Spielberg and Kubrick but they didnt get butt in the seats like Cameron has movie after movie.
 

Days like these...

Have a Blessed Day
Again, Cameron is most likely talking about the Avatar 2, 3, 4 and 5 combined costs. Industry sources have pegged Avatar 2’s budget at 460 million at the high end.

But since the VFX team has already created assets for the next couple of films, and filming was already completed for 3, Cameron is rolling costs together…probably trying to be boastful, but not realizing the impact he is having on the flip side.

Look at it this way:
  • Avatar 2: let’s say it grosses 1.5 billion
  • Avatar 3: let’s say it grosses 1.3 billion
  • Avatar 4: let’s say it grosses 1.1 billion
  • Avatar 5: let’s say it grosses 1 billion.
The 4 films alone clear well over 4 billion, and that’s not even factoring in rentals/home video.

The people putting these deals together aren’t morons. Avatar 2 will easily cross the 1 billion mark this week; it’s already outpacing Maverick.

There’s no chance it takes down Avatar 1 or Endgame, but like we’ve discussed…times have changed.
He was talking about Way of Water. Your spin is making me dizzy.
 
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I saw it on Christmas Eve in 3D. It was ok.

Avatar 1 & 2 still remain the best usage of 3D I've ever seen. The simple story of the original served it well, but the sequel's is a mess. The story/plot in Avatar 2 is terrible - straight up. I went to see it purely for the visuals, no expectations for a good story, and was still let down.

The visuals don't need to be discussed - it's objectively beautiful. The storyline baffles me. The whole premise and utilization of the villain is some of the dumbest shit I've ever seen. The retreading of the "training", but with water and with kids this time is just lazy. The shoehorning of the "whaling" plot was cheap. The final battle was underwhelming in scope and consequence.

Avatar 2 left me with zero excitement for more of this franchise. I genuinely can't fathom 3 more sequels - the visuals are not going to continue to carry this thing. Unless the third film mixes up the formula drastically, I might not even bother seeing it.
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
Again, Cameron is most likely talking about the Avatar 2, 3, 4 and 5 combined costs. Industry sources have pegged Avatar 2’s budget at 460 million at the high end.

But since the VFX team has already created assets for the next couple of films, and filming was already completed for 3, Cameron is rolling costs together…probably trying to be boastful, but not realizing the impact he is having on the flip side.

Look at it this way:
  • Avatar 2: let’s say it grosses 1.5 billion
  • Avatar 3: let’s say it grosses 1.3 billion
  • Avatar 4: let’s say it grosses 1.1 billion
  • Avatar 5: let’s say it grosses 1 billion.
The 4 films alone clear well over 4 billion, and that’s not even factoring in rentals/home video.

The people putting these deals together aren’t morons. Avatar 2 will easily cross the 1 billion mark this week; it’s already outpacing Maverick.

There’s no chance it takes down Avatar 1 or Endgame, but like we’ve discussed…times have changed.
Yep. He shot both movies back to back and all the scenes with the kids for the 4th as well. The shooting took 3 years which is super long for mocap considering they dont have to wait for proper lighting conditions, camera setup and all that jazz. Though no doubt, shooting underwater must have had its own challenges.

Still, 3 years of shooting explains the inflated $460 million budget. But there is no way its for just one movie. The 3rd movie should have a much smaller budget since its just going to be 2 years of CG work, editing and scoring.

P.S It's possible Cameron is including the 7 year prep time in the budget. He did some insane things like creating flying robot sea monsters that could dive underwater and then come back up. He was basically playing with million dollar toys for the first 7 years.
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
I saw it on Christmas Eve in 3D. It was ok.

Avatar 1 & 2 still remain the best usage of 3D I've ever seen. The simple story of the original served it well, but the sequel's is a mess. The story/plot in Avatar 2 is terrible - straight up. I went to see it purely for the visuals, no expectations for a good story, and was still let down.

The visuals don't need to be discussed - it's objectively beautiful. The storyline baffles me. The whole premise and utilization of the villain is some of the dumbest shit I've ever seen. The retreading of the "training", but with water and with kids this time is just lazy. The shoehorning of the "whaling" plot was cheap. The final battle was underwhelming in scope and consequence.

Avatar 2 left me with zero excitement for more of this franchise. I genuinely can't fathom 3 more sequels - the visuals are not going to continue to carry this thing. Unless the third film mixes up the formula drastically, I might not even bother seeing it.
I dont disagree tbh. The finale battle was much overhyped but it pales in comparison to the first movie's finale in both scale and stakes. The ocean navi just disappear after the initial attack. Its absolutely bizarre that Cameron didnt see how weird that seems because he is a master at setting up these action sequences.

And yes, the whole ocean learning thing felt like a retread. I liked it but i can see why people would dislike what is essentially them restarting the story 4 hours into the franchise. The second movie should be bombastic from the beginning and just take off like LOTR The Two Towers, Aliens and Terminator 2. This movie stops and starts three times in the first two hours and then punts the ending.

Reading the interviews, it's clear why. Avatar 2 was split into two movies. Initially Cameron hired 3 different writers. One for each sequel. The husband/wife writer combo of the first sequel had too much content so Cameron told them to split it into 2. Thats why the movie feels like half a movie without any real resolution. I wouldnt expect the next one to mix up the formula. It will be more of the same. The 4th is where things are supposedly kicking into the next gear.

Im no James Cameron but they shouldve moved to the ocean immediately at the very start of the movie after the opening montage. Then have the finale setpiece to finish up act 2 and an all out assualt on the human home base in act 3.
 
Reading the interviews, it's clear why. Avatar 2 was split into two movies. Initially Cameron hired 3 different writers.
I felt this while watching - interesting to know it was the actual truth.

I can't say I'm looking forward to seeing the other half of this movie in Avatar 3. Honestly at this point I don't have any interest in the plight of the Navi or the humans. Cameron needed to introduce a human character that is actually interesting. Earth dying offered up the perfect opportunity to introduce this character but instead Cameron gave us.........this, again. Humans being one-dimensional in the first film made sense, but now it's just an eye-rolling caricature.

This franchise desperately needs its Darth Vader, its Thanos, its Cersei.
 

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
I felt this while watching - interesting to know it was the actual truth.

I can't say I'm looking forward to seeing the other half of this movie in Avatar 3. Honestly at this point I don't have any interest in the plight of the Navi or the humans. Cameron needed to introduce a human character that is actually interesting. Earth dying offered up the perfect opportunity to introduce this character but instead Cameron gave us.........this, again. Humans being one-dimensional in the first film made sense, but now it's just an eye-rolling caricature.

This franchise desperately needs its Darth Vader, its Thanos, its Cersei.
It just needed a bit more hard sci-fi to counter the spiritual / nature / religious Navi. You've got the dead Colonel basically going through an inter-species Altered Carbon after dying, and Earth entering a death spiral. Could have provided more of a tech / darker contrast to the Navi to break up the pacing a bit.
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
I felt this while watching - interesting to know it was the actual truth.

I can't say I'm looking forward to seeing the other half of this movie in Avatar 3. Honestly at this point I don't have any interest in the plight of the Navi or the humans. Cameron needed to introduce a human character that is actually interesting. Earth dying offered up the perfect opportunity to introduce this character but instead Cameron gave us.........this, again. Humans being one-dimensional in the first film made sense, but now it's just an eye-rolling caricature.

This franchise desperately needs its Darth Vader, its Thanos, its Cersei.
Yeah, a Cersei like character wouldve been great, but James Cameron loved the actor who played the villain in the first movie and wanted him back. Im guessing they were trying to make him that Darth Vader character with a late redemption arc but because the story was split in half they couldnt really get there.
 

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
Yeah, a Cersei like character wouldve been great, but James Cameron loved the actor who played the villain in the first movie and wanted him back. Im guessing they were trying to make him that Darth Vader character with a late redemption arc but because the story was split in half they couldnt really get there.
He's the best character in both movies. Feels like he wouldn't be out of place on the team in Predator 1. Guy just steals every scene.
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
He's the best character in both movies. Feels like he wouldn't be out of place on the team in Predator 1. Guy just steals every scene.
Never cared for him personally. I loved Neytiri and the second movie shouldve had her as the lead or co-lead. Or at least have her be a major side character like Sarah Conner in Terminator 2. I admire the focus on creating a memorable villain, but cant come at the expense of your leads. James Cameron did Neytiri dirty.

She doesnt have a single scene with the eldest son. I mean come on.
 

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
Never cared for him personally. I loved Neytiri and the second movie shouldve had her as the lead or co-lead. Or at least have her be a major side character like Sarah Conner in Terminator 2. I admire the focus on creating a memorable villain, but cant come at the expense of your leads. James Cameron did Neytiri dirty.

She doesnt have a single scene with the eldest son. I mean come on.
She gets the best fight in the movie, but I agree. Her character is basically just static from part 1. The script has some issues. Mostly just missed opportunities since the potential is there for it to be better.
 
It just needed a bit more hard sci-fi to counter the spiritual / nature / religious Navi. You've got the dead Colonel basically going through an inter-species Altered Carbon after dying, and Earth entering a death spiral. Could have provided more of a tech / darker contrast to the Navi to break up the pacing a bit.
This is so damn true. We really need to see the darkness. I didn't realize how tired I'm getting of the "Pandora Vacation Sim".

Also, why bring him back as a Navi honestly? They had the one scene where the fauna didn't attack them, but so what? Why not bring him back as some other being, like an evolved human. Go deeper into the hard sci-fi, make him scary looking - remove some of the emotional/intellectual flaws that got him killed. Maybe he can hack into Pandora like the Navi do but corrupt it instead. It could add a cool angle where he simultaneously hates Jake but also has him to thank for his new abilities, and the knowledge humanity gained from the war in Avatar 1.

The more I think about what we've be given, the less interested in the franchise I am.
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
It just needed a bit more hard sci-fi to counter the spiritual / nature / religious Navi. You've got the dead Colonel basically going through an inter-species Altered Carbon after dying, and Earth entering a death spiral. Could have provided more of a tech / darker contrast to the Navi to break up the pacing a bit.
Thats an excellent idea.

Avatar is supposed to be a scifi movie so he should definitely be exploring those hard scifi concepts. Right now it just feels like a family soap opera though it was written to be that way.
 

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
Thats an excellent idea.

Avatar is supposed to be a scifi movie so he should definitely be exploring those hard scifi concepts. Right now it just feels like a family soap opera though it was written to be that way.
Yeah, it's a shame because we all know he is great at that too. And the setting and the story literally has that going on, it's just not shown. The series has a lot of unrealized potential.
 
remove some of the emotional/intellectual flaws that got him killed.

Well, Eywa cheated.
His flaw was being a nice guy. Notice how the science people and their pilot are the only ones who dislike him...
His troops love him. He smokes out the Na'vi instead of immediately firebombing them. Gives Jake three months to find a diplomatic solution. Makes all the arrangements for his surgery and finds him a ticket home despite being disappointed in him.
If he nuked the tree without giving the aliens a chance to escape, he would have won.
 

Chiggs

Gold Member
He was talking about Way of Water. Your spin is making me dizzy.

The Way of Water does not have a 2 billion dollar budget. Cameron is rolling costs together. Nobody green lights a 2 billion dollar movie.

I read the interview with GQ and it’s unfortunate the interviewer didn’t follow up.

I’m sorry, but that’s just the facts, man.
 
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analog_future

Resident Crybaby
The Way of Water does not have a 2 billion dollar budget. Cameron is rolling costs together. Nobody green lights a 2 billion dollar movie.

I read the interview with GQ and it’s unfortunate the interviewer didn’t follow up.

I’m sorry, but that’s just the facts, man.

You'd think these weirdos would use common sense rather than using something Cameron said off the cuff in an interview in which he didn't even share any actual numbers as gospel.
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes

Crazy how the estimates had it at around $800 million and articles were being written to celebrate its death. A day later, it outperformed expectations by over $100 and now my feed is filled with articles about how James Cameron is the king of Christmas. :messenger_tears_of_joy:

Even now I wouldnt dare claim victory because it all about legs. So far so good, but we wont really know until week 6 if this movie will have the staying power of Avatar and Titanic. IIRC, Titanic opened at $25 million but then stayed over $20 million for like 15 consecutive weeks.
 

Chiggs

Gold Member
You'd think these weirdos would use common sense rather than using something Cameron said off the cuff in an interview in which he didn't even share any actual numbers as gospel.

Well, to be fair, Cameron needs to stop flapping his gums…and he has been flapping them hard lately. Collider seems to have caught on, at least. Too bad they didn’t do the interview.

https://collider.com/avatar-2-the-way-of-water-box-office/

But an important aspect to consider here is that Avatar 3 was also produced simultaneously. So one cannot be sure whether Cameron accounted for the production cost for the two other sequels that he plans to release in the coming years when he made the statement about Way of Water's box-office target.
 
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analog_future

Resident Crybaby
Crazy how the estimates had it at around $800 million and articles were being written to celebrate its death. A day later, it outperformed expectations by over $100 and now my feed is filled with articles about how James Cameron is the king of Christmas. :messenger_tears_of_joy:

Even now I wouldnt dare claim victory because it all about legs. So far so good, but we wont really know until week 6 if this movie will have the staying power of Avatar and Titanic. IIRC, Titanic opened at $25 million but then stayed over $20 million for like 15 consecutive weeks.

I'd be shocked if it had the staying power of Avatar 1 or Titanic, but it's pretty much a guaranteed success now.

At this point, the worst case scenario is it settles at around the 7th highest grossing film of all time.
 
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SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
What are you talking about it's not even going to make $2 billion?
who cares. its literally going to end up as the highest grossing movie of the year topping Top Gun which was hailed as the movie that saved theaters.

All I heard for the last 13 years was how Avatar was a fluke. How no one wants Avatar 2 and how it was going to flop. Now, its already topped Wakanda Forgettable in 10 days and is beating expectations.
 
Ten days ago some doubted it would get to a billion lmao
Visual dictionary arrived today, gonna read it and then watch the movie for the 3rd time.
 
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