AceShowbiz - James Cameron is set to explore the deepest point of the ocean to film footage for his "Avatar" sequel. The film-maker has decided to set the follow-up to his hit blockbuster beneath the waves - and he's commissioning engineers to build a special vessel to travel 36,000 feet (10,972 meters) to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific.

The two-seater submersible will be fitted with a heating system and 3-D cameras to capture pictures of the depths for the movie, expected to hit theaters in 2014. Cameron, who has long had a passion for diving, is hoping to begin preparing for his mission later this year.

He says, "We are building a vehicle to do the dive. It's about half-completed in Australia." If he is successful, Cameron's team will be only the second to ever visit the Mariana Trench. In 1960, it took a scientist and a navy lieutenant five hours to descend to the floor, where they spent just 20 minutes before re-emerging.