They thought that adding "before Avatar & Star Wars" into the trailers was gonna sway people. I already knew it was gonna bomb just due to how it was rushed into production after
Avatar's success.
SN:
Avatar wasn't inspired by that book. James Cameron clearly stated where his inspiration came from. Pocahontas, Fern Gully, & I guess John Carter from Mars share an overall common theme. Oh, and Star Wars was inspired by
Flash Gordon.