James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water is releasing after taking 13 years to conceptualize and three years to make the film. So you could say actor Zoe Saldaña, who portrays Neytiri in the franchise, was excited to finally step back into the role after the first installment came out in 2009. When she stepped onto set, Saldaña says she felt instantly familiar with her character’s inner grapples.
In the first movie, Neytiri was this fearless warrior that did not want to comply with being born a princess; she just wants to be her own agent, and she meets this creature and falls in love,” says Saldaña. “This second time around is an expansion of that love. And it’s a continuation of her struggle with the Sky People, and what these invaders are doing to her planet and everything she’s ever known and loved.
While the exact plot of the sequel has been left deliberately vague, The Way of Water will explore the Na’vi people as their homeland, Pandora, faces the threat of colonization from the Sky People (humans). Saldaña filmed the movie using a virtual camera system, so she had to imagine the enchanted setting and cast of characters around her. “It’s the best form of acting that I’ve done in my career, because it brings it back to a childlike form of pretending,” says Saldaña of the format. “When we were children, you would create these wonderful imaginary worlds, and you could spend hours getting lost in your own imagination. That’s what we were doing with all the preparation that James allowed us to have.”
It’s not to say this new film didn’t have a new set of challenges. Like the title suggests, The Way of Water had actors quite literally perform scenes underwater. In addition to having archery and dance instructors, the cast worked with a diving instructor who has also taught Navy Seals on how to hold their breath in performance capture tanks. (Saldaña’s costar Kate Winslet even held hers for over seven minutes.) “We studied [diving] theory and had to do these breathing exercises, so that by the time you’re ready to go and dive, you have enough oxygen in your bloodstream,” says Saldaña. “You’re training yourself to let go of that panic when you go underwater. And once you put that into practice, it’s kind of liberating.
Source: .vogue
In other news – Sister Wives Meri Brown Confirms Breakup With Kody Brown
Like two of her fellow sister wives, Meri Brown is no longer with Kody Brown. In a preview of the upcoming Sister Wives: One on One special, the reality TV matriarch confirmed that she and Kody have ended their 32-year polygamous relationship.
The revelation came after Meri was shown footage of Kody saying he doesn’t consider himself “married” to her, prompting the 51-year-old to point out the differences between their separation and how sister-wife Christine Brown, who announced her split from Kody in 2021, ended things. Learn more
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