James Cameron Says ‘Avatar: Fire & Ash’ Will Redefine Zoe Saldana’s Career: “Goes Way Beyond What You’ve Seen Before”
In Avatar: The Way of Water, we saw Jake Sully, Neytiri, and their family escape the human threat by finding shelter with the ocean-dwelling Metkayina clan. But the film’s biggest emotional moment came at the end, when their oldest son, Neteyam, was killed.
He died just as he was stepping into adulthood, and the loss left the Sully family heartbroken, especially Neytiri.
Now, in Avatar: Fire and Ash, that pain is still very real. Zoe Saldaña, who plays Neytiri, says her character is still struggling deeply with the loss.
“That pain is seamlessly followed up on,” she tells Empire. “And because it doesn’t really have anywhere to go, and doesn’t go away, rage can also come from it. [The Sullys] are going to be tested as a family.”
Empire also shared the first exclusive image of Neytiri in the new film—bow drawn, ready to fight. It shows just how intense her journey will be this time.
Saldaña explains that Neytiri’s grief will affect all parts of her life: “Not only would everything that’s happening compel her to question the bond she has with her husband,” she says, “but also her bond with herself, her people, her land, and the way the Na’vi are. She’s going to question everything.”
In Fire and Ash, Neytiri will also face a new enemy—Varang, the powerful leader of the Mangkwan Ash Clan, played by Oona Chaplin. Saldaña hints this will be a major challenge for her character.
Director James Cameron is full of praise for Saldaña’s performance in the film: “Zoe is incandescent in this film,” he says. “With Emilia Pérez, she’s finally getting recognised as the top-tier actor we’ve always known she is. But in [Fire and Ash], that goes way beyond what you’ve seen before.”
With such deep emotion and big battles ahead, Avatar: Fire and Ash looks set to be another unforgettable chapter in the saga—and one that could move audiences to tears all over again.
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