After all, this is the director who brought us Titanic, The Abyss, Piranha Part Two: The Spawning, and two IMAX documentaries about the deep oceans (Cameron has said that his upcoming sequels to Avatar will take place in alien oceans). In a rare turn, the notoriously controlling filmmaker’s main role in Deepsea Challenge 3D is in front of the camera, with directorial duties ceded to his fellow explorers John Bruno, Ray Quint, and the late Andrew Wight. At its best, Deepsea Challenge 3D, a National Geographic film that premieres nationwide this Friday in IMAX 3D, is also a profile of James Cameron himself. Deepsea Challenge 3D seeks to have Cameron answer this question for himself, as he oversees the creation and deployment of the private submarine Deepsea Challenger, a 24-foot tall, neon green, blade-like craft straight out of science fiction. I’ve seen some pretty astonishing things at the depths.