No, James Cameron hasn't gone crazy and penned a sequel to his seafaring tragedy - though given his recent career we wouldn't be too surprised if he had. This is an actual ship, and it's actually being built - in China - ready for its maiden voyage in 2016. The ship is being designed to look identical to the original Titanic in almost every way possible. Except for a modern hospital, a helipad and the precaution of actually having enough lifeboats this time around, the Titanic II will be a near perfect replica. Even the route of its voyage is the same as that of the original, departing Southampton and - fingers crossed - arriving in New York a little while later. Whilst the eccentric billionaire responsible for this plan couldn't be coaxed into calling the ship 'unsinkable', he was happy to point out, "there are not so many icebergs in the North Atlantic these days." Clive Palmer, the billionaire in question, is an Australian tycoon who made his fortune in the mining industry. When questioned about funding the Titanic II he was quick to express that he had more than enough of his own wealth to do so and that, "cost is not what it is all about." Over 40,000 applications have been made in bids to be a part of the experience which will see a crew of 900 taking to the sea with around 2,435 passengers. That's either a whole lot of people who are confident history won't repeat itself, or a whole lot who fell asleep half way through the first movie. While every precaution is being taken to ensure the safest journey possible, I don't think we can yet rule out a big budget sequel to Cameron's highly successful blockbuster.
Read the full story on The Guardian website.