Last night, James Cameron’s long-awaited 3-D epic Avatar premiered in London. The AP reports that the audience responded with applause and cheers when the movie—about humans taking on avatar forms and exploring an alien world—ended, and that many in attendance were left “breathless”. Stars Sigourney Weaver and Zoe Saldana were on hand to walk a special blue carpet. Though Avatar doesn’t premiere until next week, early reviews have been leaking out, and some indicate that the word “breathless” might not be so overblown after all: Variety‘s Todd McCarthy writes that it’s “…a film of universal appeal that just about everyone who ever goes to the movies will need to see.” The Hollywood Reporter writes, “…movie magic is back!”  Empire magazine calls it “…a hugely rewarding experience: rich, soulful and exciting in the way that only comes from seeing a master artist at work.” The Times UK calls it “…an overwhelming, immersive spectacle.” And Screen International writes “It’s an unprecedented marriage of technology and storytelling which is on the whole remarkably successful.” On the negative side though, the Guardian calls the movie “…baggy, longwinded and, for all the light-speed imagery, just not quick on its feet.”

According the the AP, an attorney for Samantha Geimer—the woman who Roman Polanski is accused of raping when she was 13-years old in 1977—asked a Los Angeles appellate court to drop the charges against the director. The court will decide if a lower court should dismiss the case without Polanski being in attendance. (Polanski’s attorney was also arguing for dismissal without Polanski having to return to the United States.) Said Geimer’s attorney Lawrence Silver, “No one in this room would say the proceedings were fair. Thirty-two years is enough.”

James Cameron is set to produce 20th Century Fox’s remake of 1966 sci-fi film Fantastic Voyage, Variety reports. Shane Salerno (Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem) will adapt the project, about a dying scientist who tries to save himself by injecting minaturized colleages into his blood stream. Cameron isn’t expected to direct although the project would use the technology he employed in Avatar. Also, Cameron said at Avatar‘s London premiere Thursday that he may work on two sequels to Avatar.