Underwater adventures: James Cameron shares secrets of filming ‘Avatar’

Thirteen years after Academy Award®-winner James Cameron introduced viewers to a world unlike any they had ever seen with his breathtaking film ‘Avatar’, Disney+ Hotstar is all set to release the eagerly-awaited sequel ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ on June 7. Available in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, this ground-breaking cinematic odyssey unveils a new underwater adventure that promises to mesmerise viewers again. Returning to reprise their iconic roles, Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana portray Jake Sully and Neytiri, devoted parents doing everything possible to protect their family. Joining them are esteemed actors Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis and Academy Award winner Kate Winslet. The screenplay, a collaborative effort by James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Josh Friedman, and Shane Salerno, captures the essence of the story while Cameron and Jon Landau serve as the film's producers.

To bring ‘Avatar: The Way of Water to life’, Cameron and his team faced the challenge of capturing performances underwater, a feat never before accomplished. Cameron said, "The key was to actually shoot underwater and at the surface of the water so people were swimming properly, getting out of the water properly, diving in properly. It looks real because the motion was real. And the emotion was real.”

A massive tank was constructed at Manhattan Beach Studios, home to Cameron and Landau's production company, Lightstorm. This tank, spanning 120 feet in length, 60 feet in width, and 30 feet in depth, held over 250,000 gallons of water, replicating natural oceanic conditions.

“That became our complete Swiss army system. We could do waves breaking on the shore and have people trying to get out of the water while they’re getting hit by waves. We could create wave interaction with the creatures and people surfacing, getting hit by a 10 wave and trying to say their lines and trying to breathe at the same time,” said Cameron.

In all his films, James Cameron creates an immersive experience in which audiences will feel like they’re alongside the characters on their adventures. But that’s never been truer than in the case of ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ which stands as a new creative zenith for the singularly talented filmmaker who, yet again, pushes the boundaries of cinematic storytelling.

Catch ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ only on Disney+ Hotstar on June 7, 2023.