Technology has no limits to giving actors the opportunity to play anyone from green superheroes who love to smash to playing someone younger than they are. While it has been known Sigourney Weaver stars in Avatar 2, titled The Way of Water, the big question was who she would play? Her character in the first movie, Dr. Grace Augustine, died, so it was a major mystery as to who she would play. As revealed by Empire magazine, the 72-year-old is playing a new character named Kiri, who is the teenage Na’vi adoptive daughter of Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana).
“I think we all pretty much remember what we were feeling as adolescents,” Sigourney Weaver said about Avatar 2. “I certainly do. I was 5’ 10” or 5’ 11” when I was 11. I felt strongly that Kiri would feel awkward a lot of the time. She’s searching for who she is. I was thrilled to be given that challenge by Jim.”
Transforming Sigourney Weaver in Avatar 2: The Way of Water
The long-awaited sequel is one of several collaborations between James Cameron and the actress. While starring in the 2009 movie, she also starred in Aliens. With all of that experience, the director spoke about the difficulties of making her younger. She was filming the film as she was turning 70.
“As an acting challenge, it’s big,” he said. “We’re gonna have a 60-something actor playing a character [decades younger than] her actual biological age. Sig thought it was all kinds of fun.”
“Sigourney just became younger. She looked younger, she had more energy, and she never quite stepped out of Kiri for our whole capture period. She had a glow on her face and lightness in her step and a fun spirit.”
On top of Sigourney Weaver becoming a teenager in Avatar 2, she learned to hold her breath for six minutes after being trained by military divers. The rest of the cast also learned techniques to keep themselves underwater as long as possible for the director to maintain long shots.
Avatar: The Way of Water releases in theaters on December 16th.