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James Cameron's Avatar was a phenomenon when it hit theaters back in 2009, becoming the highest grossing movie of all time until it was dethroned by Avengers: Endgame. But Cameron and company are diving back into Pandora for Avatar 2, both figuratively and literally. Photos from the set have shown how much underwater work the cast is doing to bring the sequel to life, and now we can see the fun way the cast and crew got ready for that unique type of work.
Avatar's sequels will greatly expand the world of Pandora, including new types of Na'vi tribes. One of the tribes lives largely at sea, which is why the motion capture and live-action filming involves so much work with water. And it turns out that prior to filming, James Cameron took the cast on a trip to Hawaii to get in touch with gorgeous underwater visuals. Producer Jon Landau revealed this on social media, with an awesome post featuring Sigourney Weaver. Check it out below.
That's one way to get the cast ready for the long (wet) hours working on Avatar. Because prior to spending time in motion capture pajamas and imagining the world of Pandora around them, they were able to take a trip to Hawaii and further immerse themselves in the world of James Cameron's franchise. At least until the set was eventually shut down amid global health issues.
The above photo come to us from the Instagram of Avatar producer Jon Landau, and features the classic duo of James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver. The shot of director and star comes from their pre-filming trip to Hawaii, with Weaver seemingly fresh out of the water. It's a sweet image that is sure to delight Avatar and Alien fans alike.
It should be interesting to see exactly how Sigourney Weaver factors into the Avatar sequels. Her character Grace died in the first movie, making her ongoing involvement in the property all the more mysterious. Weaver will reportedly be playing a new role in the sequels, although a set photo also seemed to tease a return to Grace via flashback.
Avatar is currently available to stream on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
The Avatar sequels have had a long road to theaters, as the first movie came well over a decade ago. While Avatar 2 was quickly green lit by the studio (with James Cameron having a five-film arc in mind), it took a long time for production to finally kick up. And unfortunately when it did, sets around the world were shut down. Luckily it seems the cast and crew are moving forward with filming in New Zealand.
The narrative possibilities for Avatar are seemingly endless, as the sequel will follow Jake, Neytiri and their family years after the events of the first film. Newcomers to the franchise include Kate Winslet, Edie Falco, Cliff Curtis. Let's just hope no more delays come Avatar 2's way.
Avatar 2 is currently expected to hit theaters December 16th, 2022. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.
