Sigourney Weaver, one of the stars of Avatar 2, has revealed the intense training she had to go through for the film’s underwater scenes.
It has been known for some time that James Cameron intends Avatar 2 to really push the limits of underwater filming. We have also learned that the extensive use of underwater sequences in the movie also required substantial training for the actors.
Speaking to The New York Times, actress Sigourney Weaver explained how she had to hold her breath for over six minutes while filming and that while she was concerned (she was 70 at the time), she didn’t want to back down:
“My hope is that what I receive from the universe is even more outrageous than anything I can think of. I don’t really say to myself, ‘Well, you can’t do this.’ Or ‘You can’t do that.’ Let me at it! And we’ll see.
“I had some concerns. But that’s what the training was for. And I really wanted to do it. I didn’t want anyone to think, ‘Oh, she’s old, she can’t do this.'”
The ability to hold her breath for such a long time allowed Cameron to film for longer underwater. Part of the training involved heading to Florida and Hawaii where she would “recline on the ocean floor while manta rays glided over her”.
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Hopefully, all the training and intense effort were worth it and Avatar 2 can blow us all away. The wait has been a mighty long one but we know better than to doubt James Cameron.
Avatar 2 sees Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Matt Gerald, Dileep Rao, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi and Sigourney Weaver all reprising their roles from the 2009 blockbuster, while new additions to the cast include Kate Winslet, Oona Chaplin, Cliff Curtis, Britain Dalton, Filip Geljo, Jamie Flatters, Bailey Bass, Trinity Bliss, Jack Champion, Duane Evans Jr., Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Michelle Yeoh, Jemaine Clement, Keston John and CJ Jones.
Avatar 2 is set for release in December 2022, followed by Avatar 3 in 2024, Avatar 4 in 2026 and Avatar 5 in 2028.
