More than a decade after Avatar, the story of Jake Sully, Neytiri, and Pandora continues in Avatar: The Way of Water. Since the events of the first film, Neytiri and Jake have built a family with four children and are leading their people. But when a familiar threat returns more dangerous and destructive than ever, they must decide what is worth risking to protect Pandora. Avatar: The Way of Water continues to explore Pandora introducing new environments and cultures along with new characters.

Sigourney Weaver, who played Dr. Grace Augustine in Avtar, returns in Avatar: The Way of Water as an all-new character. Weaver is playing Kiri, the adopted Na'vi daughter of Jake Sully and Neytiri. Kiri has a deep connection with Pandora's nature and wildlife through Eywa, while also sharing a connection with Dr. Grace Augustine's Na'vi Avatar.

Related: Avatar 2: How Sigourney Weaver Is Returning (Despite Her Death)

Screen Rant spoke with Sigourney Weaver about playing a new teenage character in Avatar: The Way Of Water. Weaver explains how she approaches playing the teenage Kiri and how she is different from the other Na'vi due to her connection with Eywa. Weaver also breaks down what elements of her performance as Dr. Grace Augustine she wanted to bring into her performance as Kiri.

Sigourney Weaver on Avatar: The Way of Water

Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) swimming in Avatar: The Way of Water

Screen Rant: Sigourney, congratulations on this film. I don't think I've ever been more immersed in a film in my life. Can you tell me a little bit about your character and how you approach playing a teenager?

Sigourney Weaver: I play Kiri, who is the adopted daughter of Neytiri and Jake, in a family that's a kind of composite family. And Kiri also has a connection with Grace Augustine, who was the scientist in the first one, that I played. Kiri's different, though, from the other kids and doesn't really know how she feels about that. Sometimes it's great because she has such a connection with creatures, underwater and on land, and sometimes this makes her very uncomfortable. And she's still finding out why she can communicate so well with other species, and it's kind of a mystery.

But she's such a great character and I realized very early on that, even though I might have thought that Jim is crazy to entrust me with a 14-year-old, he also said, "You're so immature, you really are 14, so this won't be hard for you." And then I had to unearth my own 14-year-old and who was also in a complex period of life and kind of weave them together and then learn how to actually let leave Sigourney over in the corner and just let Kiri out to be in this world.

And actually, once I got there, I realized I could trust that process that I sort of put together, but I still had no idea that it would work as well as it does.She's really different and very gentle. And so I thought the whole thing was such an amazing experience, as you say, immersive and just dazzling.

Can you talk about Kiri's connection to Eywa?

Sigourney Weaver: That I don't know about. I think there is a scene where she talks about hearing Eywa's breathing. I wasn't really sure what happened to Eywa when Hometree is destroyed, but clearly she still exists in some form. And why [it] is that Kiri can hear things that other people don't hear. I think it makes Kiri quite uncomfortable, but I think because she's so sensitive to all of nature that she would also be sensitive to Eywa.

Kiri is a brand-new character after you played Grace in the first film. Is there anything from Grace that you wanted to take and use for Kiri in this film at all?

Sigourney Weaver: Oh, there's definitely a transfer of the curiosity, the love of nature. Grace much prefers to be in Avatar form and be out in the forest and studying things, and I think Kiri has a different way of expressing all that. She is just one with nature. And where that comes from, I'm not sure, but it's very much in the script, and luckily in the movie you will get to see her try to make more of a connection with Grace.

About Avatar: The Way of Water

The Na'vi talk to their children after returning from a journey in Avatar The Way of Water

Over a decade after the events of Avatar Jake Sully and Neytiri are living on Pandora with their family leading their people. However, when a familiar threat returns to restart a war they thought had ended years ago they must once again work together to protect their planet, their people, but most importantly their family.

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Avatar: The Way Of Water will be playing in theaters on December 16.

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