Given that we’re talking about a blockbuster sci-fi epic that requires the majority of its cast to wear grey motion capture leotards and perform within the anonymous confines of a largely empty soundstage that eventually transforms them into hulking blue aliens that stand nine feet tall, getting into character for Avatar 2 sounds like a tough task.
Almost the entirety of the world is created digitally, with director James Cameron once again set to push the boundaries of cinematic technology by expanding the scope of the franchise. However, the filmmaker revealed to Variety that in order to immerse his ensemble for what was coming, he took them on a trip deep into the rainforest so they could get into the right mindset.
“I took the actors on what I called a sense-memory odyssey. We went to Kauai. We lived in the rainforest for a few days. We cooked in underground fire pits. We drank water from the leaves. I said, ‘All right, we’re going to walk up a trail and I want you to observe as much as you can about how you place your feet, how you place your hands when you go up a steep section. You’re going to have to remember it, what it felt like, what it smelled like, and you’re going to have to bring it back into a relatively sterile environment.’ We all just embarked on that journey.”
Trust Cameron to call it a “sense-memory odyssey”, when something as simple as “field trip” would do. That being said, you have to admire his determination to ensure that his onscreen players had a feel for what their Na’vi counterparts would be experiencing, especially when Avatar 2 is coming burdened with the crushing expectations of having to follow the single highest-grossing movie in the history of cinema.
If anyone can pull it off, though, it’s James Cameron, and now we just have to wait and see if Avatar 2 will actually make it to theaters as intended twelve months from now.
