Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington return to their roles Jake and Neytiri after 13 years with Avatar 2. They spoke to Moviepilot about the elaborate filming process,
Avatar 2: The Way of Water is surrounded by legends. Underwater shoots that had the cast holding their breath for minutes at a time. A budget beyond imagination. A huge set somewhere in New Zealand. All choreographed by the eccentric director James Cameron.
How does it feel to play a leading role in the most expensive and technically advanced blockbuster of recent years? That’s what we asked Avatar stars Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington, who return to their roles of Neytiri and Jake Sully respectively after Avatar – Setting Out for Pandora.
I actually can’t believe I’m doing this interview because we had to wait so long for Avatar 2. It was 13 years! Did you miss Pandora?
Zoe Saldana: We did. It was such a special experience [on the first film] to work with someone like James Cameron and to be involved in such an extraordinary project. The concept was unimaginable and the worldwide reaction was unlike anything I’ve experienced before or since. To return to that experience and meet these people I look up to again, it was like an everlasting gift.
Actors face many challenges when making a blockbuster like Avatar 2. What was the hardest part for you personally?
Zoe Saldana: For me it was definitely the underwater scenes. I wasn’t prepared for that training. But I accepted it and in the end it was quite an exhilarating experience.
Sam Worthington: Well, we realised in the first part that the performance capture technique is very actor-friendly. We don’t think much about the technique behind it at all. We only think about each other. And we can really see the virtual world while we are filming. That’s the difference between us and other films, we are already immersed in the world, even if we are on a grey set.
