The world of Avatar is huge, with stunning landscapes and dazzling visual effects that bring James Cameron's creation to life on screen but make the films feel like a child again, the cast told Yahoo UK.
Sigourney Weaver, Oona Chaplin and Stephen Lang are just three of the film's huge cast. third film “Fire and Ashes”who spent months in performance filming costumes with dots on their faces, running around an almost empty sound stage – Volume – to act out the film. The process relies heavily on their imagination and understanding of Cameron's vision to create what audiences will ultimately see in theaters.
In some ways, Chaplin says, it was like going back to childhood: “For me it was like going back to drama school or even to the playground.
“You're essentially in your pajamas, and the atmosphere on set is one of family, trust, challenge and playfulness.
In the Avatar films, actors use performance capture technology to transform into Na'vi. (20th century studio)
“When you enter the Volume, deep concentration arises, there is a very special feeling that I have never felt anywhere else. It's like a whole universe, this thing, this atmosphere.
“And so when you get into your gear, you know that you're going to run your imagination and go as far as you need to go, as deep as you need to go. You may make mistakes; there is no such thing as a wrong approach. You can be brave, you will be held, you will be safe and you will be inspired.”
She continues: “Vanity just goes out the window. The places where you try to do your best work for a close-up are gone. You're just in the moment with the other actors and Jim Cameron. [is] guides you through the fantasy world he created.”
Oona Chapling said making Avatar: Fire and Ash was like returning to a “playground.” Photo of Zoe Saldana. (20th century studio)
Sharing his insight into the process, Lang, who has appeared in the franchise as Quaritch since the first film in 2009, adds: “Capturing performance is very liberating. We don't call it mocap anymore; Performance capture is actually a more nuanced term and actually better describes what is actually captured.
“Once you get into Tom, where we're shooting, that's what we call the space we're shooting in—it's very much like what Peter Brook, the great British theater director, would call an empty space where anything can happen, where there's a kind of infinite realm of possibility and imagination.”
New faces of Avatar 3
Avatar: Fire and Ash features a new villain, Varang, played by Oona Chaplin. (20th century studio)
Avatar: Fire and Ash introduces new characters and challenges for Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and their family, who are still reeling from the loss of their eldest son in the second film. This challenge is Varang, a Na'vi villain who leads the People of Ash and will stop at nothing to dominate all other creatures on Pandora after her clan was nearly destroyed.
For Chaplin, who plays her, it was important to portray the villain in a way that didn't make her two-dimensional: “I think there's a scene between her and Quaritch where she kind of tells a little bit of her origin story, and she talks about how she was really abandoned and her deep, deep trauma of seeing her land, her family, her whole way of life destroyed and devastated.
“And so there is deep-seated pain and grief and loss that is the pit of her anger and her rage. And I felt it from the very beginning as my treasure, my touchstone to return to again and again to make sure I respected all of her suffering and how resilient she was and how sincerely she did her best.
Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and Varang find common cause in the film. (20th century studio)
“She gave it her all, she has a lot of integrity, she has a lot of conviction. And her strength really lies in the fact that when she sees something that makes her afraid, she will immediately go for it. And then she'll decide what to do with it, whether she eats it, destroys it, or throws it over the board, her first instinct is to go straight in and do it.”
“And I think that's the right idea, or at least it's a wonderful quality that I've learned in my life.”
Varang is not alone in wanting revenge on Sally and his clan; no, that honor also goes to Colonel Quaritch, played by Lang, who finds common ground with the new Na'vi and bonds with them in a surprising way. Lang's stage partner Chaplin helped with this.
Avatar: Fire and Ash follows Neytiri (left) and Jake Sully (right) as they deal with grief over the loss of their son and battle new threats. (20th century studio)
“Oona is a true professional and a pleasure to work with,” explains Lang. “She works with a lot of focus, a lot of humor, a lot of empathy, and so on that level it was just really nice to do it. And of course, Varang is a very dynamic character, not unlike Quaritch in many ways, I think.
“I think they both have the same aggressive leadership style. I think they were both born to be in charge, so to speak, and that could create a very interesting dynamic as to who is actually in control between them. And I think there's a kind of push and pull that's dramatic and funny and exciting to explore.”
What makes James Cameron special
James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver in 2024, according to the actor, the director gave her the greatest gift with Avatar. (Getty Images)
The film marks a continuing collaboration between Weaver and Cameron, who first began working together in 1986 on the Aliens sequel. The actor says it was a fruitful collaboration over the years, and that the director gave her “the best gift” in the role of Kiri, Sally and Neytiri's fourteen-year-old adopted daughter.
When asked how their relationship between actor and director evolved, Weaver says, “That's such a great question because it's really unique. I love him so much as a person. And it's hard for me to always remember that he is some kind of scientist, researcher and genius who created this technology.
“And I think it’s because he loves his actors so much that he’s created this technology where he can take us all into such a wonderful, exotic world and give his actors the ability to transform themselves. Obviously, in the real industry I would not be able to do anything like this.
Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) is Jake's adopted teenage daughter Sally and Neytiri, but the teenager is played by Sigourney Weaver. (20th century studio)
“So that he kind of realizes that there are still these little green shoots left [a] the teenager in me and kind of freed him with his characters. Honestly, this is the best gift I've ever received.”
Lang reflects the view that Cameron is a unique person to work with, sharing: “I think he's also a prophetic person in the sense that he really predicts to all of us what might happen to us, like a little ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.
“I'm just saying that because of the season we're in right now, it doesn't mean it's going to happen, but it could happen. I think he also expresses tremendous sympathy for this matter.”
“It also gives hope and optimism that these problems that we have brought upon ourselves in many ways—whether they be environmental problems or cultural problems, colonialism, whatever it is, some of the things that really represent some of the less commendable qualities among people—those things can be fixed.
“We can civilize ourselves, we can move forward, we can make choices that are friendlier to both the planet and each other. So I think that’s what accounts for his success and his depth as a person.”
What to expect from Avatar 4 and 5
Avatar: Fire and Ash is just the beginning of the franchise. (20th century studio)
It is hoped that Cameron will be able to continue the franchise with a fourth and fifth film, depending on the success of Fire and Ash to begin production. Some filming has already taken place, mostly with a younger cast.
However, the actors told Yahoo UK that they hope to return to Pandora. Weaver, who was involved in the next potential Avatar movie, says: “I hope we get enough people around the world to go see it.
“In my case, I never watch my films; once is absolutely enough. I've watched it three times and I found it so rewarding in some way and such a wonderful physical experience that I'm actually willing to watch it again! Because I found it, it was just fascinating and I loved watching my fellow actors work and it helps me understand where Kiri is going.
“She definitely makes a big difference in [Avatar] 4 and 5, and therefore it is important that I now understand that in this part of the saga she manifests herself.”
There are hopes for a third and fourth film in the franchise. (20th century studio)
Chaplin confirms that “there was some filming”, but is not sure what awaits her character if she returns: “I would like to see Varang again. I'd love to work with her again, I'd love to work with everyone in Avatar again.
“It was a truly joyful experience and I would really like [it]. After watching Avatar: Fire and Ash, this is my favorite Avatar, and that's saying a lot because the first one really marked me as a person.
“I love that this story somehow goes deeper, and 4 and 5, from what I've seen and discussed, go even deeper. I feel like stories like this are really what we need in the world right now.”
She adds: “I believe that the unifying power of Avatar, the power it has to help us remember and reconnect with how good it is to be in relationship with nature, with life, with the sacredness of all things, with each other, with family, the values that are deeply instilled in this story, the courage that it instills in me – all of this is important, and that's why I would really like to see Avatar 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.” 10. Just let it go on forever.”
According to Oona Chaplin, the next film in the franchise could go even deeper than Fire and Ashes. (20th century studio)
Lang felt the same, saying of his character – should he return – that “there are all kinds of paths, emotional, psychological and spiritual paths that Quaritch could go down that are worth exploring.”
“I think over the course of three films he's shown himself to be a resilient character who can not only evolve but also sometimes deteriorate,” Lang says. “Quaritch is one of those characters who takes three steps forward and two steps back. Just when you think he's going to redeem himself, he does something incredibly cruel!”
Avatar: Fire and Ash opens in UK cinemas on Friday 20 December.
