Jyo John Mulloor, a resident of Dubai, is quickly developing a reputation as an artist who transforms famous UAE landmarks into bizarre and fantastical settings. The digital artist first gained attention in March when he published a collection of images depicting Dubai covered in snow. Since then, he has transformed Abu Dhabi into a beautiful green city in his imagination.
Mulloor has now rebuilt famous Dubai locations within the alien planet of Pandora, the mythical moon where the movie is set, in advance of the release of the eagerly awaited sequel Avatar: The Way of Water in December.
Mulloor intersperses the luxuriant realm of Pandora with the Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, the Dubai Frame, Museum of the Future, and Ain Dubai through a series of eight arresting photographs. The humanoid Na’vi inhabitants of Pandora can be seen flying across the frame on their dragon-like companions in several pictures.
When the film was released in 2009, James Cameron’s Avatar was both a box office success and a landmark in cinema. In the movie, Pandora is portrayed as a stunning location that is abundant in minerals. Because of this, humans would eventually discover a way to exploit Pandora, which would bring them into conflict with the Na’vi.
The movie continues to be one of the most financially successful in history and has inspired books, computer games, and stage productions.
Avatar: The Way of Water, Cameron’s sequel, has been in development for a long time; filming got underway in 2017. The tale will take place ten years after the events of Avatar and will feature a number of the original cast members.
He claims to be devoting this series to himself and all other Avatar enthusiasts. I wanted to see what the city would have looked like if James Cameron had used it as a reference point when imagining the world of Pandora, the man says. “I came to Dubai in 2006 and I have seen so much development and advancements in technology. So being a tremendous fan from Dubai, this is my tribute to the maestro.