Kate Winslet reveals her Avatar 2 underwater dance scene is part of a Na’vi ceremony. With $2.79 billion grossed at the worldwide box office, James Cameron’s 2009 sci-fi action film Avatar became the biggest blockbuster of all-time (it was obviously later eclipsed by Avengers: Endgame).
Much of Avatar’s massive success of course can be credited to the film’s state-of-the-art visual effects, which incorporated 3D and motion capture to create an amazingly immersive experience. Over ten years after Avatar conquered the box office while revolutionizing visual effects, Cameron is returning to the moon of Pandora for four planned sequels, the first of which recently wrapped up live-action shooting in New Zealand. Like the original movie, Avatar 2 will push the boundaries of visual effects once again, as Cameron takes his motion-capture tech underwater to create a new kingdom populated by Na’vi who live beneath the waves at least part of the time.
Fans recently got another look at the impressive work being put into Avatar 2 when a photo was released showing star Winslet (back with Cameron after starring in his blockbuster Titanic) performing some kind of crazy underwater dance while holding her breath for an insane amount of time. As Winslet revealed to Collider, the dance was actually part of a Na’vi ceremony being performed by her character Ronal:
“I was walking on the bottom of the tank. That’s a big ceremonial sequence with those huge heavy wings. That was quite scary. The thing is, when you can hold your breath for seven minutes, you become unafraid. Actually, strangely, I was able to rely on my own ability to hold my breath for that long. Somehow I was not afraid, at all.”
The wings Winslet was seen sporting in the photo have of course engendered a lot of discussion, as Avatar fans speculate on what they could be. Are they part of a costume that will be filled in with CGI later, or do the undersea Na’vi in fact have giant wing-like fins they use to swim through the oceans, somewhat like manta rays on earth? Whatever the actual nature of Winslet’s “wings” might be, it seems the sequence she was filming in the photo will give fans a glimpse into the culture of the undersea world Cameron and company have so painstakingly been bringing to life all these months.
Of course Avatar 2 would not be complete if Pandora’s people weren’t being threatened by greedy earthlings out to pillage the peaceful moon for its resources. Indeed, BTS photos have also teased the on-going human presence among the Na’vi, with fans getting a look at Edie Falco as the human military leader now heading up the effort. These recent teases, as lacking in context as they may be, have only built up intrigue around Avatar 2 and the other three sequels Cameron has planned. Thankfully, COVID restrictions are no longer causing delays for the project, as Cameron recently revealed he is already well into doing live-action work on Avatar 3. Of course, given the effect COVID is still having on the movie industry, it’s fair to wonder if there will even be any theaters left to show Avatar 2 in its full big screen glory when it finally does arrive.
Source: Collider
