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The young stars of Avatar: The Way of Water have spoken about what it was like to dedicate four and a half years of their lives to the project ahead of its release.
Trinity Jo-Li Bliss stars as Tuktirey, the youngest of the Sully clan, while Jack Champion is Spider, Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldana) adopted human son who was left behind on Pandora as part of a small human contingent after being too young to travel back to Earth.
The movie introduces the family – also comprised of Jamie Flatters’ Neteyam, Britain Dalton’s Lo’ak and Sigourney Weaver’s 14-year-old Kiri – as it sets up their life among the Na’vi years after the events of the first film.
It’s also been years, practically speaking, since the actors first began their journey with the franchise, as casting, rehearsing and initial shooting began almost five years ago.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk at the world premiere in London’s Leicester Square, Jack, 18 explained how odd but ‘exciting’ it was to finally be about to release the film.
‘Once you work on something for four and a half years, it just feels very natural and just like your everyday job – and it didn’t really hit me until I watched the movie three days ago with the cast. It was the best feeling, the most excited feeling I’ve ever felt. Words still can’t describe it.’
Trinity Jo-Li Bliss plays baby of the Sully clan, Tuktirey (Picture: 20th Century Studios)
Jack Champion is the Sully’s adopted human son Spider, left behind on Pandora (Picture: 20th Century Studios)
As a human among the Na’vi, Jack had possibly one of the biggest workloads of all, essentially having to film all of his scenes twice over a span of almost five years.
He explained: ‘I did two and a half years of performance capture with the cast and then I did another two and a half years of by myself in New Zealand. Instead of a performance capture suit, I was in a loincloth – in my underwear – and I basically had to learn how to fly solo without any of the other cast!
‘So I had to rely on that emotional relationship I’d built years prior.’
Trinity, 13, called it a ‘wild ride’ to have joined the franchise.
‘Just getting to be part of this Avatar family, it’s incredible. From the first day, getting cast in June 2017 – getting that call – to now December, 2022 and we’re at the world premiere! The day has come, and I’ve been so fortunate,’ she told Metro.co.uk.
The young stars reflected on the work they had done over years on the sequel ahead of its release (Picture: Dave J Hogan/Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
Spilling on working opposite Worthington and Saldana, she gushed: ‘I get to be Sam and Zoe’s kid – it was an incredible, an honour and really exciting. They’re such great people, and also masters of the craft. They’re great parents to their kids and great set parents to us.’
Joel David Moore is one of the returning cast members as scientist Norm Spellman, who survived the first movie as a human and opted to stay on Pandora, although his Na’vi avatar was killed, meaning he must stay in human form.
As one of few humans still around, he keeps an eye out for Spider, and was filled with pride when talking about watching his young co-star Jack grow up over the process of making The Way of Water.
Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) with their Navi family (Picture: 20th Century Studios)
Sigourney Weaver, 73, plays their 14-year-old daughter (Picture: 20th Century Studios)
He said to Metro.co.uk: ‘We talk a lot about how the legacy cast sort of ushered in the younger crowd that are coming. Jack Champion was 13 when I met him, he was about this tall [gestured low], now he’s as tall as I am, he’s a big hunk!’
‘There’s really been a journey since we started back in 2017 shooting and rehearsing and up until now,’ he added.
‘These kids have become adults in a lot of ways and I’m just so honoured and so privileged to be a part of this franchise, my character aside. Just working with Jim [James Cameron] on a daily basis on set – there’s just nothing like it, I don’t think that you have a director in Hollywood that does what he can do in cinema.’
Moore also confirmed that the actors had known for ‘a long time’ that there would be a sequel for Avatar, although the ‘iteration’ and amount of them changed over the tears.
(L to R) Jamie Flatters, Jack Champion, Stephen Lang, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Bailey Bass and Joel David Moore at the premiere on Tuesday night (Picture: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImage)
‘At first, it was going to be a sequel, one sequel, then it pretty quickly switched to two sequels and then they essentially took those two sequels and broke them into two.Â
‘So there’s four sequels all together. We’ve shot two of them. It is a rigorous and long journey to shoot an Avatar movie, but every time that you are on that set, you’re stepping back into the family of Avatar and you know we all are there for the fundamental reason of telling a story that can challenge the audience, once they’re out, to think about what they just saw.’
The total of a possible five films overall are scheduled to be released every other year until December 2028 – although Cameron has said he is prepared to end the franchise early if audiences aren’t bothered, wrapping up with the already-filmed third outing.
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He’s also admitted that The Way of Water needs to be the third or fourth highest-grossing box office hit in history just to break even.
That would see it join his other efforts – Avatar and 1997’s Titanic at the top, alongside Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame.
Avatar: The Way Of Water is released in cinemas on December 16.
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The youngsters lead the cast as the Avatar sequel focuses on family.Â
