Zoe Saldana is one of the world's most esteemed actors, having appeared in four of the six highest-grossing movies of all time, including the top three. Two of those movies are James Cameron's Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water. And she's not done with Pandora just yet. Saldana is on board for three further adventures in the Avatar franchise.
James Cameron's Avatar franchise is a weird one. The movies have had a mixed reception. But in terms of numbers, they've both grossed over two billion dollars at the box office, with Avatar (2009) being the highest-grossing movie of all time. Later this year, Cameron will release Avatar 3: Fire and Ash , focusing on an entirely new tribe of Na'vi on the moon of Pandora. Of course, it will also mark the return of our core cast, including Sam Worthington's Jake Sully and Saldana's Neytiri.
Speaking with Deadline, Saldana reflected on her tenure in Avatar. "I was 28 when I did the first movie and I think, if all goes to plan, I'll be 53 [or] 54 for the very fifth one and last one," she explained. "It's a gift to be able to revisit a character that has given me so much, to revisit a place that has been so magical."
""Not just for me, but for so many people in the world. We're talking about communities in the Amazon who were able to see Avatar 1, and they were moved by the stories that Jim was saying and how they felt represented in the story that Jim was conveying. That's beautiful to be a part of something so impactful.""
Zoe Saldana teases the journey ahead in Avatar: Fire and Ash!
After the enormous wait between Avatar 1 and 2, it feels like the third installment, Fire and Ash, is coming fast. The new movie introduces us to the hostile Na'vi tribe, the Ash Clan.
While Saldana can't spoil too much, she reveals that a perilous tear-jerker of a story lies ahead. "It's going to be an emotional roller coaster," she teased to Variety. "The way The Way of Water ended was unimaginably painful for the Sully family. Now, they have to make really strong decisions. Do they stay united and find common ground, or do they go their separate ways? And God knows what's going to happen to the existing children. "
Avatar 3: Fire and Ash premieres December 19 in theaters. James Cameron has already shown the movie to a select group of people, and told Stuff about their reactions:
"I've shown it to a few selected people and the feedback has been it's definitely the most emotional and maybe the best of the three so far. We'll find out, you know, but I feel pretty good about it. And the work is exceptional from the actors. It's pretty heart-wrenching in a good way."
It sounds like Cameron and Saldana are on the same page when it comes to how emotional the movie will be. Will the Sully family face a greater threat from the Ash Clan or from the Earthlings who are still trying to mine Pandora for its natural resources? We'll all be crying in the theaters later this year.
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