James Cameron is known for his undying love of the ocean, and his frequent use of the sea in his movies. Avatar: The Way of Water is no exception, and takes the underwater scenes to the next level to produce an even bigger, stunning visual experience. Kate Winslet in particular was involved in many underwater scenes for the film, and the actress famously held her breath underwater for seven minutes while making the film. Cameron recently revealed that while these scenes were technically challenging, it was a point of catharsis for both of them.
In a recent interview with EW, the director talked about shooting the film that took 13 years to come to fruition. When discussing the parts of Avatar 2 that were shot underwater with Winslet, he noted how enriching it was for their collaboration. He also talked about how their mutual love for the water also led to the scenes feeling cathartic. Cameron further detailed:
I felt that she needed it from a therapeutic standpoint. We both needed the catharsis. She was actually super gung ho about it because she related to that as a physical thing that she could latch onto. First of all, she loves the water. Her husband is really into board sports and kite surfing and all that sort of thing, so she’s very, very comfortable in the water. She actually saw it as a way to prep for her character, ’cause Kate is all about preparation and metaphorically and physically going deep. So she latched right onto it. But the kicker was that her kids said, ‘Mom, don’t be stupid. Do Avatar.’
It seems like both Winslet and Cameron had similar goals for her scenes in the film which really helped the movie-making process. The underwater scenes in Avatar: The Way of Water are absolutely spectacular so their process was definitely effective. The CGI combined with the aquatic environment looks incredible on the big screen, and you can tell that all the actors, including Winslet, were incredibly committed to making the film as perfect as possible.
The success of Winslet’s scenes in the film likely comes from the mutual trust she shares with Cameron. The two previously worked together on Titanic, and the aquatic scenes in that film are also extraordinary. Cameron put his actors through a lot while shooting that film, so Winslet clearly knew what she was getting herself into. Cameron claims that he is a nicer, calmer director now, so maybe this process wasn’t as intense. Still, the collaboration is an iconic one and they clearly work well together as they have produced two amazing films.
Like Titanic, Avatar: The Way of Water isn’t just a filmmaking achievement, but also a financial one. The sequel film will likely cross 2 billion dollars at the box office, blowing the expectations out of the water. This likely means the planned sequel films will be given the green light, so we have more Avatar films to look forward to in the future. Details about Avatar 3 are still under wraps, but Cameron’s love for the sea will probably still be an influence, so hopefully, there will be even more stunning underwater sequences to come.
Avatar: The Way of Water is currently playing exclusively in theaters nationwide. Fans of the film series can also revisit 2009’s original Avatar, which is streaming now, with a Disney+ subscription. For more information about other films hitting theaters and streaming in the near future, make sure to check out our 2023 movie release schedule.