By the D23 Team
Audiences are about to journey back to Pandora in legendary filmmaker James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash. This new adventure from 20th Century Studios finds the Sully family—Marine turned Na’vi leader Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Na’vi warrior Neytiri (Oscar® winner Zoe Saldaña), and their children—still living amongst the Metkayina, but they’re continuing to adjust to life without Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), who did not survive a brutal skirmish with the Resources Development Administration’s “Sky People.” Jake, Neytiri, Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), Spider (Jack Champion), and Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) are each dealing with the loss in their own way.
Worried for Spider’s safety, the family begins a journey to take him back to High Camp, the Omatikaya’s stronghold. However, their party is attacked by the Mangkwan, a.k.a. the Ash People, led by Varang (Oona Chaplin). Meanwhile, Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and the regrouped RDA are organizing their next attack.
On the heels of the film’s December 19 premiere, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club had the chance to sit down for an exclusive chat with several of the film’s stars! Read on for more...
D23: When it comes to working with James Cameron, do you have a favorite memory that springs to mind?
Sigourney Weaver: Well, I think what's interesting is that he has such love and respect for actors. And he created this technology to be able to give actors the freest experience possible—so there's no “technology” in our world. Jim doesn't have a camera. He's just with us. It's like an early theater rehearsal where you're literally finding out what is this scene about... When I recently saw the movie again, those scenes between Zoe and Sam—they were so moving. A lot of the things that are in the movie are eerily reflective of what's happening now, even though Jim wrote these screenplays a few years ago. Every character is themselves and it pays off—and they get these very humorous moments as well as very tender moments.
Sam Worthington: He's a king collaborator. He’s generous with his time and he allows you to create—and he gets excited by what you create, and in that in turn he then excites us. So it's this beautiful symbiotic relationship of creation. It's almost like painting. You're painting a big picture together with all these weird dots and then hopefully you stand back and you've created something beautiful.
Zoe Saldaña: I just love how he takes care of us. I love how he keeps his word and he says that everything that we're doing is exactly what you're going to see. And he's able to allow you to have a sense of pride—you think, “That's me, I did that, all of it.” And you feel like you're a part of something really, really special... In scenes with Jim and with my fellow actors, because these are people that I respect, I've grown to love, I consider family, especially Sam. We've grown up together, basically—and to be able to be a part of the work that we are doing as an Avatar family is an honor.
D23: Oona, you’re new to Avatar. Did any of the actors give you advice on how to adapt to the world of the Na’vi?
Oona Chaplin: I mean, everybody was so helpful—but Sam, very early on, at one of the table reads, we were just like sitting around and he said, “Oh yeah, you're 100% in close-up 100% of the time—so all you’ve got is truth.” And that really stayed with me for the entire time... it's been amazing working with everybody; I just felt very grateful that some of my idols and heroes have also been so very kind and generous and encouraging for me. The feeling of support and the feeling of intimacy and family in Avatar is like nothing I've experienced, not since drama school.”
D23: Stephen, when you first started working in performance capture—beginning with Avatar: The Way of Water—was there anything that surprised you about the process?
Stephen Lang: Well, when I first started working on Avatar in 2007. my character didn't do really do performance capture, and I envied the fact that Sam and Zoe and Sigourney were doing this amazing process. But then in Way of Water, of course, it was become all performance capture for me. And so that was very gratifying.
D23: Zoe, if you could give your character some advice about motherhood, what might that sound like?
Saldaña: I would use more words. Neytiri is a lady of very little words and it's more about what she does. She lives by action and not by saying things. And I think that Neytiri would tell me the same but the opposite—she’d say, “You could use a little less talking.” Because I tend to overwhelm my kids with a lot of talk!
D23: What do you hope audiences take away from the film?
Trinity Jo-Li Bliss: I hope they have an epic time seeing it! I think there's so much cool action, and then the story's pulling you in—I mean, I was on the edge of my seat for these characters, because even I kind of forgot what was happening! I couldn’t help but feel for these characters and wanted to know that they will be all right. I think that's a beautiful part of the film—it just feels like a ride; this emotional ride that’s just an epic watch. And I feel like you're gonna walk out with your whole imagination ignited—and you’re probably gonna want to see it again!
Jack Champion: I really hope people are entertained. At its core it’s a very entertaining movie—I was so entertained when I saw it!—with so many ups and downs... and the fans have been so amazing. Flying here, the flight attendant, he said, “Hey man, are you the guy from Avatar?” And I was like, “Yeah!” He was so chill and nice. I appreciate the love; it’s so awesome.
Bailey Bliss (Tsireya): I hope people feel inspired. I love films that inspire you to want to create. I remember being a kid watching action films and just running around with my siblings afterwards, pretending we have powers, pretending we all of these abilities. And Jim has reached this level of success, I realized, because he was brave. Time and time again he was brave and pushed the boundaries... To this day, he just continues to say, “What else can I do?” If one door closes, another door opens. So I hope audiences leave inspired, knowing that they genuinely can do anything. And I'm very grateful to work with everyone on this set, because I also need that reminder sometimes.
Don’t miss Avatar: Fire and Ash, now in theaters! And to read more about the film, check out the Winter ’25 issue of Disney twenty-three, available to D23 Gold Members. (Not a Gold Member? Join today!)