Avatar actor Zoe Saldaña admits that viewing the first twenty minutes of Avatar 2 moved her to tears. Avatar first appeared in theaters back in 2009 and revolutionized the use of CGI in Hollywood. The movie tells the tale of the native species of the moon Pandora, who are threatened when humans come to mine a special mineral which can only be found beneath their home. The film is helmed by box-office king James Cameron and stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, and Sigourney Weaver. Avatar was a massive success, nominated for nine Oscars, including Best Picture, and becoming the highest-grossing movie in history, a title it just last year retook from Avengers: Endgame.
Almost since the release of Avatar, Cameron has been promising that he has sequels in the works. However, over the years, the films' release dates were delayed multiple times due to both writing and filming issues, leading many to believe that the sequels might never see the light of day. However, after over a decade, Avatar 2 is set to release in theaters in December, with at least three more sequels still on the way - Avatar 5 is projected to arrive near the end of 2028. While Cameron promises Avatar 3 is also nearly complete, fans can take comfort in knowing Avatar 2 is definitely a go.
In a recent interview with Kevin McCarthy, Saldaña reveals that she was able to see the first twenty minutes of Avatar 2, and it moved her to tears. She says this happened "right before the year ended last year" and admitted that it left her speechless, going on to mention that Cameron ended up in tears as well. Saldaña claims Avatar 2 has a very compelling story and will be "a leap" from what audiences know from the first installment. Check out her full quote below:
I can get choked up just talking about it, because I was able to see just 20 minutes of the second installment right before the year ended, last year. And I was speechless, I was moved to tears. One thing nobody really knows about Jim [Cameron] is that Jim is also a big crier, so... [laughs] [...] This story is going to be compelling. Avatar 2 is definitely a leap from the Avatar 1, so I think you really have to brace yourself for it, but it's going to be an adventure you will not forget.
Saldaña also goes into detail on Avatar 2's underwater scenes, which represent Cameron's biggest technological advancement. Much of the Avatar franchise is created through motion capture, which, while very effective technology, does not work well underwater. According to Saldaña, Cameron has spent years working with the technology to figure out exactly how to pull off these scenes, and the actor confirms he's figured out a system that makes for compelling filmmaking.
There is no doubt that the Avatar sequel movies have been a labor of love for Cameron. After revolutionizing filmmaking with the first installment and waiting to release the next for over a decade, Avatar 2 is risky and certainly has big shoes to fill. However, if Saldaña's statement is to be believed, Cameron has achieved this and more. The only thing his fans can do now is wait for Avatar 2 to be released at the end of this year.
Source: Kevin McCarthy/Twitter
