Filming Avatar movies is no small feat, and it should come as no surprise that it takes time for James Cameron and co. to shoot those massive blockbusters. The second and third installments in the franchise were actually shot simultaneously over several years, and a lot can change in that period of time. As cast member Signourney Weaver explained to CinemaBlend, during that stretch, she got to see the younger actors grow up. Weaver also joked about that, while the kids themselves talked about coming of age on set.
Sigourney Weaver Recalls Working With The Younger Actors Of The Avatar Franchise
The Alien icon was in a very interesting position while making the Avatar sequels, given her role as Jake Sully and Neytiri’s adopted daughter, Kiri. Because of that, Weaver shared a lot of scenes with the kid actors who make up the rest of the Sully family, including Jack Champion, Trinity Bliss and Britain Dalton. While speaking with CB about the franchise’s latest film, Fire and Ash, Weaver praised her co-stars, saying that they “come into their own” in the film. She also shared a sweet story about auditioning with Champion:
Jack was 12 when we met and he came into the audition. I was scampering around as Kiri, and I said, “Let’s do something.” And then I ran up, I ran all over the stairs, and he was running with me, and we just improvised for like, I don’t know how many — 20 minutes. And he was so game, and I could just tell he’d make a wonderful Spider. And so I feel very lucky. Of course, it is astonishing to me to be looking up Jack instead of down at Jack and Trinity, too, and Britain.
As a young person, I honestly couldn’t understand how adults would be so enamored with how me or other kids would grow over time. As an adult, though, I now understand it, and Sigourney Weaver’s sentiments really resonate with me. The Way of Water and Fire and Ash were filmed together between 2017 and 2020, so Weaver spent a lot of time with the kids. Of course, at the same time, they were getting acclimated to being on such a massive set and, as expected, they had some unique experiences.
Avatar’s Younger Actors Tell Us About Growing Up On Set
When CinemaBlend interviewed Avatar’s “kid” stars for The Way of Water, they expressed enthusiasm over being part of the massive franchise. Those feelings were still present when we spoke with them this time around. Now-21-year-old Champion, now-16-year-old Bliss and 22-year-old Bailey Bass (who plays Metkayina tribe member Reya) have fond memories of being on set during their formative years. Bass and Bliss spoke about the challenges of transitioning out of traditional school to film, though the latter has sweet take:
I think growing up on the Avatar set was the greatest gift. I definitely would not be who I am today without the amazing people that I’ve met who’ve inspired me. Without my character, too, who I’ve just basically grown up with now and grown alongside with, and it’s just all of these things. I feel like we’ve all been going through the bittersweet nostalgia, just thinking about childhood.
Those are memories that the stars will be able to hold onto for years to come. Imagine getting to shoot scenes and swim with Sigourney Weaver as well as other stars like Zoe Saldaña and Sam Worthington. And, of course, there’s the fact that the kids were directed by James Cameron, one of the most prolific filmmakers of all time. Needless to say, they had very unique childhoods.
Fans will get to see more of the results of the actors’ years of hard work when Avatar: Fire and Ash opens in theaters on December 19th as part of the 2025 movie schedule. In the meantime, grab a Disney+ subscription to stream the first two films in the series.
