James Cameron and his Avatar 2 cast took their pre-production preparation to a whole new level by living in the rainforest for several days. With 2009's Avatar, Cameron reached a level of success few directors can ever claim. The sci-fi epic remains the highest-grossing movie of all time to this day (Avengers: Endgame held that title only briefly), and with its many sequels, Cameron hopes to continue this phenomenon. Avatar 2 has been delayed numerous times over the years as Cameron perfects the technology necessary to capture his vision, but it now seems closer to release than ever.
Currently scheduled for December 2022, Avatar 2 will return viewers to the visually impressive planet of Pandora years after the first movie. This time around, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) have settled down and started a family. A renewed threat sends them out of the rainforest and to Pandora's oceans for safety, thus giving Avatar 2 the opportunity to explore new areas of the planet. Much of the movie is expected to take place near or in Pandora's waters, hence Cameron's desire to develop new tech.
Still, it sounds like Avatar 2 will give the rainforest setting a decent amount of time as well. Cameron recently participated in Variety's Directors on Directors series opposite Dune's Denis Villeneuve and revealed a bit about his prep work for Avatar 2. In response to Villeneuve's question about what the actors are working with on set and how Cameron gives them a reference, the Titanic director explained he took his cast on a unique trip. He said:
I took the actors on what I called a sense-memory odyssey. We went to Kauai. We lived in the rainforest for a few days. We cooked in underground fire pits. We drank water from the leaves. I said, “All right, we’re going to walk up a trail and I want you to observe as much as you can about how you place your feet, how you place your hands when you go up a steep section. You’re going to have to remember it, what it felt like, what it smelled like, and you’re going to have to bring it back into a relatively sterile environment.” We all just embarked on that journey.
By all accounts, the preparation and training for Avatar 2 and its sequels is far more intensive than it would be for any other movie. In addition to this rainforest trip, several cast members participated in real underwater dives. Certain Avatar 2 stars, like Sigourney Weaver and Kate Winslet, have received special praise for their ability to hold their breath for long periods of time underwater. It's been well-documented by now, but Cameron has high standards for his cast, crew, and tech. It's no wonder that he would take everyone out to the rainforest to instill a sense of realism in them.
Seeing as much of Avatar's world is created with CGI, it is smart to have the cast experience what living in a real rainforest is like. As Cameron said, this told them where to put their feet and how to hold themselves. That can give their motion-capture performances an extra touch that grounds them in reality, even if they're in a fantastical place like Pandora. Viewers should watch each star carefully when watching Avatar 2 next year to see if they can pick up on these interesting tics.
Source: Variety
