Avatar: The Way of Water had Zoe Saldaña "sobbing" as she finally watched the long-awaited sequel

Avatar: The Way of Water is hitting theaters in a matter of weeks – and it seems like it's going to be an emotional return to Pandora, according to star Zoe Saldaña. 

"If I seem a little off, I'm normally very talkative, that's because I just came back from the screening. I went to see Avatar [The Way of Water] today," she told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show. "I am still processing, it's very emotional. I'm surprised my eyelashes stayed on, you guys. I was, like, sobbing. It's really special and I can give you a little hint. It's about water."

Saldaña plays Neytiri, a Na'vi princess who fell in love with former marine-turned-Na'vi Jake (Sam Worthington) in the first movie. Now, several years later, the pair have a family of their own. 

The sequel is also set to explore the underwater world of the Na'vi planet Pandora, with actors like Sigourney Weaver – who's playing Jake and Neytiri's adopted teenage daughter – holding their breath for up to six minutes. The movie's cast also includes Stephen Lang, Michelle Yeoh, Kate Winslet, Edie Falco, and Jemaine Clement. 

Director James Cameron recently revealed that Avatar 2 will need to become either the third or fourth highest-grossing movie of all time in order to just break even, let alone make a profit, telling GQ that it's "the worst business case in movie history." It's currently predicted to open to at least $150 million in the US, with a chance the total could reach up to $175 million. 

Avatar: The Way of Water arrives on the big screen on December 16. While we wait, check out our guide to the rest of the most exciting movie release dates coming our way.