Lesser known facts about James Cameron’s blockbuster Avatar 2: The Way of Water

The highly anticipated sequel to the 2009 blockbuster hit Avatar has already smashed several box-office records across the globe. The visually stunning cinematic achievement has earned plaudits from critics and fans. And today’s Now You Know podcast will take a deep dive into the lesser-known facts about Avatar 2: The Way of Water.

1. Tom Cruise famously broke the record for the longest underwater filming sequence after he held his breath for an incredible six minutes for the 2015 film Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. However, actress Kate Winslet broke Cruise's record with an astounding seven minutes and 14 seconds for Avatar 2: The Way of Water. She even performed all of her underwater scenes without the aid of a stunt double.
2. Hollywood star Edward Norton was initially roped in to play an essential role in the film but he turned it down after it was revealed that he would be essaying the role of a human and not a Na'vi of the planet Pandora. Director James Cameron was keen on working with Norton so he cast him in the 2019 film Alita: Battle Angel.
3. James Cameron has helmed iconic films over the years such as Aliens, The Terminator, and Titanic. However, he has only directed one sequel to his films in his illustrious career prior to Avatar 2: The Way of Water, which is Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Even though Aliens, released in 1986 is a sequel to the 1979 film Alien, the first film was directed by Ridley Scott.
4. Star of the Alien franchise Sigourney Weaver, who essayed the role of Dr Grace Augustine in Avatar, plays the role of Grace’s teenage Na'vi daughter Kiri in the sequel. Weaver was displeased with the original concept art for Kiri as she believed it was too ‘neat and pretty’ for an awkward teenager. She, therefore, demanded a messier design that fit the character’s persona.
5. The sea clan of Metkayina in Avatar 2: The Way of Water is inspired by the Maori people of New Zealand. Several Maori actors were cast to add more authenticity to the film. Actor Cliff Curtis and James Cameron worked together to recreate a traditional haka dance for the Na'vi clan with unique ear movements also incorporated. Even the tattoos fashioned by the Metkayina bears resemblance to the traditional Maori tattoos.
6. A sequel to the original film was announced immediately after its release in 2009, and in 2013 Cameron finalized his plans to expand the world of Pandora to the oceans. However, the technology to render the Na'vi in water and to capture them in wet conditions did not exist at the time. So Cameron and producer Jon Landau began working on R&D in order to produce the desired visual effects for the film. It is one of the reasons why the film was delayed for nearly 13 years.

Well that's the OTTplay Now You Know episode for today, until the next one its your host Nikhil signing out.

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• Written by Ryan Gomez