Filming Avatar 2 underwater looks hard in this first look at the cast

News
By
published

An update on the long-in-the-works sci-fi sequel

(Image credit: Disney)

Avatar 2 began filming last year, and recently we got our first look at what the production process looks like on the film, which will feature a substantial amount of underwater motion capture. That's because Avatar 2 will take audiences to oceanic parts of the fictional planet of Pandora.

The image shows actors Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Kate Winslet and Cliff Curtis in a tank used for motion capture. The tank itself carries a staggering 900,000 gallons of water. 

Winslet plays a water-dwelling Na'vi character called Ronal in the movie, while Curtis plays Tonowari, another Na'vi figure. Clearly, a lot of effort is being made to have this film feel like it's set underwater. Can't say we'd want to swap with the cast in this case. 

Director James Cameron is shooting Avatar 2 back to back with Avatar 3, 4 and 5. Avatar 2 is due to release on 17 December, 2021, with the subsequent instalments planned for December 2023, December 2025 and December 2027 - try not to think about how old you'll be when all this is done. 

Avatar 2 should soon resume filming

Production on the sequels in New Zealand was initially hit by the coronavirus pandemic, but now that the outbreak appears to be under control in the country it's likely the sequels will resume filming very soon. The same goes for Amazon's big-budget The Lord of the Rings series, which is also filming there. 

Speaking to Empire from his Malibu home about the challengers presented by the virus, Cameron said: "I want to get back to work on Avatar, which right now we're not allowed to do under state emergency laws or rules. So it's all on hold right now.

"We were about to shoot down in New Zealand, so that got pushed. We're trying to get back to it as quick as we can."

If all goes to plan, you'll have more Avatar than you can possibly handle for the next decade.

Samuel Roberts
Samuel Roberts

Samuel is a PR Manager at game developer Frontier. Formerly TechRadar's Senior Entertainment Editor, he's an expert in Marvel, Star Wars, Netflix shows and general streaming stuff. Before his stint at TechRadar, he spent six years at PC Gamer. Samuel is also the co-host of the popular Back Page podcast, in which he details the trials and tribulations of being a games magazine editor – and attempts to justify his impulsive eBay games buying binges.