Avatar 2’s Kate Winslet On ‘Drinking The Kool-Aid’ Joining James Cameron’s Sequel

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Actress Kate Winslet has had an acclaimed film career, picking up an Oscar, Emmy, and other various awards along the way. Her name is synonymous with her iconic role as Rose in James Cameron’s Titanic, and moviegoers are eager to see them once again collaborate on the Avatar sequels. And Winslet recently described joining the world of Pandora like “drinking the Kool-Aid”.

Being an actor requires a great amount of imagination, as scenes are filmed out of order and without aspects like music or special effects. This is especially true for the Avatar movies, which need extensive motion capture and are shot almost entirely on green screen sets. Kate Winslet described what it was like joining the Na’vi in Avatar 2, saying:

What’s so wonderful about Avatar is that of course the bigger, much more global themes to do with deforestation and what we are doing to our planet. And that really resonated with me just after seeing the first one. Being back with Jim Cameron again was an amazing experience. The world of Pandora that they’ve created and everyone that’s a part of it, walking into that space and joining forces with that creative team is a little bit like drinking the kool-aid. You find yourself saying ‘I’m not sure if that Na’vi spirit would really allow them to judge a person in the way.’ Like, wow it’s sort of happening to me.

James Cameron did a ton of world-building in the first Avatar movie. Pandora has continued to be explored thanks to theme park attractions, but it seems that it was fairly easy for Kate Winslet to join the ensemble for the sequel. And it didn’t take long for her to be invested in the property.

Kate Winslet’s comments come from her recent appearance on Lorraine, where the acclaimed actress was promoting her new HBO series Mare of Easttown. Eventually the conversation turned to her highly anticipated role as Ronal in Avatar 2, which will see her transform into a member of the Na’vi.

The original Avatar is currently available on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

The pressure is on for James Cameron and company to deliver with Avatar 2, as the sequel has been a very long time coming. Cameron is filming two sequels back to back, and it seems that his vision easily sucked in Kate Winslet, and had her sipping on that Pandora Kool-Aid. Now she’s invested in the fictional world, as well as her specific character’s Na’vi tribe.

While Avatar 2’s contents are a mystery, Kate Winslet has already been making headlines for her role. Photos from the set revealed her doing a ton of work in the water, even training to hold her breath for filming at the bottom of a pool. There’s just something about Winslet and Cameron that says bring in the water effects. And moviegoers can’t wait to dive in.

Avatar 2 is currency expected to arrive in theaters on December 16th. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your next movie experience.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.