VIDEO: James Cameron Invites Filipinos to Watch TORUK-The First Flight, 6/23-7/2

"TORUK-The First Flight" is Cirque du Soleil's first show that was inspired by a movie: James Cameron's monster hit "Avatar."

Manila, Philippines--In a special video message from Oscar-winning director James Cameron, he says, "I'm delighted that 'Toruk' will make its Asian premiere in the Philippines. While I'm...working on the sequels for the 'Avatar' film, I invite you to revisit Pandora with 'Toruk-The First Flight' by Cirque du Soleil."

After 15 months of touring North America and over 1.3 million fans seeing the show, "Toruk" will hit the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena from Friday, June 23 to Sunday, July 2.

Tickets, starting at P1,500 only, are available at www.cirquedusoleil.com/toruk and www.smtickets.com.

"This evolution of the brand [Cirque du Soleil] trades the troupe's normal progression of death-defying feats as self-contained acts and instead integrates a more streamlined set of athletics into a linear tale. The movement of the artists becomes a language all its own and everything they do is part of the larger sphere of the Pandoran universe," says Ellen Dostal, BroadwayWorld.com.

"Toruk" transports the audience to the world of Pandora in a visually stunning live setting. Experience a storytelling odyssey through a new world of imagination, discovery, and possibility.

Through a riveting fusion of cutting-edge visuals, puppetry, and stagecraft buoyed by a soaring cinematic score, Cirque du Soleil applies its unique signature style to James Cameron's imaginary world and "makes the bond" between two kindred artistic visions that capture the imagination.

This live immersive experience also bears the distinct signature of directors and multimedia innovators Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon. It is a living ode to the Na'vi's symbiotic coexistence with nature and their belief in the basic interconnectedness of all living things.

Narrated by a "Na'vi Storyteller" and populated by unforgettable characters, "Toruk" is a mythical tale set thousands of years before the events depicted in the film "Avatar," and before any humans ever set foot on Pandora.

Photo: Jesse Faatz