The much-anticipated Avatar 2: The Water's Path is finally here!
The film will be released on December 16, 2022.
Recently, Entertainment Weekly released the latest concept map of Avatar 2: The Water's Path and behind-the-scenes pictures, showing the scenes of the crew shooting underwater using motion capture technology:
Latest concept map
The film takes over the first part, where former human soldier Jack Sally and Na'vi girl Natalie have settled in and started a family, with the story revolving around their children.
Behind-the-scenes image of motion capture
Eddie Faky plays General Ademore, a senior member of the RDA (who clashed with the Na'vi in the first film). Cameron said: "It looks like we're in a submarine, but it's actually on the deck of the helicopter we saw in the first film. ”
James Cameron (right) talks to Jack Champion ( center ) , a young actor who plays a human teenager spider born on the planet Pandora. Cameron said: "We not only teach a 14-year-old to dive with a breathing mask, but also teach him to perform underwater. He did a fantastic job. ”
▲ In the more complex scenes of the film, Cameron hired underwater dance and gymnastics professionals to shoot for the actors. These gymnasts can move gracefully and skillfully in the water without creating any bubbles that interfere with motion capture technology.
The first Avatar was praised for its filming technique. It almost single-handedly set off the 3D movie craze and dominated 3D movies of the 2010s, where motion capture technology used in movies was unprecedented.
While motion capture has been used in films like The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean, Avatar takes the technology to a whole new level.
Cameron promised that the Avatar sequel would continue to drive the development of filmmaking technology, and now fans are studying how he did it.
Motion capture technology didn't initially work underwater, so Cameron and the Avatar 2 team had to upgrade and make motion capture suits and cameras to be able to accurately capture the actors' underwater performances.
According to sources, the choice of Avatar 2: The Way of Water to shoot in the water has a lot to do with Cameron's own love of diving (as an avid deep-sea diving enthusiast, in 2012 Cameron took two hours to reach the Mariana Trench at a depth of nearly 11 kilometers, and stayed at the bottom of the sea for more than three hours, becoming the first person in the world to arrive alone in the place. It can be said that Avatar 2 is a love letter written by Cameron to the sea.
Underwater scenery
The film's underwater scenes were shot in a 900,000-gallon tank that simulated different ocean currents and ocean movements. Cameron said they considered alternatives to shooting in tanks and then adding water digitally, but for the film, the water didn't look real enough.
The film's actors have diving licenses and are trained to hold their breath for a few minutes each time they shoot a scene. According to Cameron, Sigoury Weaver could hold her breath for 6 and a half minutes during filming, and Kate Winslet could hold her breath for 7 and a half minutes.
Producer Jon Landau was very impressed with Winslet, saying: "One day I was passing by and saw Kate Winslet coming toward me at the bottom of the tank and when she saw me in the window, she just waved, walked to the end of the wall, turned and walked back. ”
Cameron and the Avatar 2: Water's Trail team will be pushing the limits of the audience in the sequel.
According to the total budget of more than $1 billion reported by the media from "Avatar 2" to "Avatar 5", the average budget of a film will exceed $250 million. But given that the first film grossed nearly $3 billion, they also had enough money to do it.
"Avatar 3: The Seed bearer" was filmed at the same time as "Avatar 2: The Way of Water" and is expected to be released in 2024.
Avatar 4: The Ancient Knight and Avatar 5: In Pursuit of Eva will also be released in 2026 and 2028, but filming will begin after the release of the first sequel.