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James Cameron knows how to make blockbusters. After all, three of the top four films in the highest-grossing films category are all directed by him. They are-Avatar, Avatar 2, andTitanic. The firstAvatar, which is the highest-grossing film ever, has made $2.9 billion while the other two have trailed close at $2.3 and $2.2 billion respectively.
But making blockbusters isn’t easy. Cameron especially is famed for being tough on his actors and making them live the story and place. However, after a point, Zoe Saldana couldn’t take the training or prep forAvataranymore. But the acclaimed director couldn’t care less.
James Cameron Wasn’t Impressed With Zoe Saldana’s Complaints On TheAvatarSet
InAvatar,Zoe Saldanaplays Neytiri, a Pandora native. To verify that she was prepared for the role, the actress had to participate in grueling training. The Marvel actress knew that it was a demanding role that was going to take all from her. It’s just that she didn’t know how much. In an interview with Parade, she said:
“It was the most physically demanding role I’ve ever done. I trained in everything from riding bareback and martial arts to archery. I was okay with almost all of it except our trip to Hawaii before filming to experience a tropical environment like Pandora.”
Read More:‘Titanic’ Filmmaker James Cameron’s Submersible That He Built Himself To Explore the Wreckage Leaves People Stunned as They Compare It With the Titan Sub
Saldana expressed that she couldn’t cope in a tropical environment and was on the verge of giving up. But then Cameron stepped in to say that she needed to get on with the program. The actress said:
“Jim made us live for three days without technology and a minimum of creature comforts while we went climbing and digging in the dirt. I was almost naked for three days and as muddy as a dead rat. I finally went, ‘I can’t deal with this.’ and Jim said, ‘Oh, come on, Zoe, s*ck it up.'”
But how did theGuardians of the Galaxystar’s training forAvatar 2go? After all, since most of the film was shot underwater, it must mean that the actors needed to learn how to hold their breath.
Read More:Netflix Faces Heavy Backlash for Streaming Titanic After Submarine Catastrophe – Outrage Debunked After James Cameron’s Comments
Zoe Saldana Revealed How Long She Could Hold Her Breath At A Stretch ForAvatar 2
James Cameronrevealed that he was strict about shooting underwater because he wanted audiences to really feel that the characters were underwater inAvatar 2. He said:
“You want it to look like the people are underwater, so they need to be underwater… I knew Sam was a surfer, but Sigourney and Zoe, and the others weren’t particularly ocean-oriented folks. So I was very specific about what would be required, and we got the world’s best breath-hold specialists to talk them through it.”
Read More:“I wanted to make that movie”: James Cameron Hated Watching Star Wars for the First Time for a Shocking Reason
So how long was Saldana able to hold her breath? About 5 minutes. She told The New York Times:
“I’m very competitive, but we had an Oscar-winning actress (Kate Winslet) in our cast that did seven minutes. I got almost up to five minutes. That’s a big accomplishment, you guys.”
It certainly is a huge accomplishment and the dedication of the actors madeAvatar 2even better. Now it’s a long wait forAvatar 3which will release on 21 August 2025.
AvatarandAvatar 2are available on Disney+.
Source:Parade
Ishita Chatterjee
Content Writer
Articles Published :752
Ishita is an Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows, with over 700 articles published. She has been working in the entertainment and pop-culture niche for more than 4 years. With a English Literature degree, Ishita generally covers news and analyses on Foundation, Ted Lasso, Severance, and more.A lifelong DC fan, Ishita spends her time watching and re-watching everything in the DC universe (yes, even including the Arrowverse shows).
