Avatar: The Way of Water Star Says Film's Environmental Message Isn't "Preachy"
Avatar: The Way of Water is finally headed to theaters later this year, continuing the narrative of 2009's landmark film Avatar. The James Cameron-directed epic was dubbed the most successful movie at the global box office at the time of its release, but the conversation surrounding it has evolved in some unpredictable ways over the years. One oft-debated element of the original Avatar was its allegorical approach to environmental issues — and according to one of the saga's stars, the message will continue in The Way of Water. In a recent interview with Deadline's 20 Questions on Deadline podcast, Neytiri actress Zoe Saldana teased that the sequel will approach the topic in a way that is hopefully not "preachy."
"Our planet is 80% water, so there's so much more about our life on Earth that we don't know because it lives beneath us and Pandora was sort of mirrored from that as well. Which means that when we saw Avatar 1 we only got to see 20% and that 20% took us for a ride that many of us across the globe have been unable to sort of shake. So imagine, what is the other 80%? Obviously we do know that wit hall of these relatable conversations that Jim (Cameron) is having around invasion, colonization, the erasure and genocide of civilizations, and the taking and the abuse of an environment. These are things we've seen throughout our history repeat themselves over and over again. So it's not like we're going to be seeing something that we've never heard of before, and I just hope it's as thought provoking as the first movie was. Just to compel us in any shape or form to be more aware of each other, but also be more aware of our environment, but not in a way that's preachy, just in a way that betters your life….Get ready man."
What is Avatar 2 about?
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, Avatar: The Way of Water begins to tell the story of the Sully family, the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure. The film will see the return of Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Giovanni Ribisi, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore, Dileep Rao, CCH Pounder, and Matt Gerald. New cast members include Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Michelle Yeoh, Jemaine Clement, Oona Chaplin, David Thewlis, and CJ Jones.
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Avatar: The Way of Water is currently scheduled to be released exclusively in theaters on December 16th.