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Sci-fi legend Sigourney Weaver will soon be back as her Na'vi character Kiri when Avatar: Fire and Ash hits theaters imminently.
Kiri is a teenager adopted by Jake Sully and Neytiri, and she's the daughter of Dr. Grace Augustine's Na'vi Avatar – hence Weaver returning to play her, after originally playing Augustine in the first film.
Of course, this is far from the first collaboration between Weaver and director James Cameron. Along with Avatar and The Way of Water, both also collaborated on Aliens, Cameron's '86 sequel.
"It's been one of the greatest gifts to work with James Cameron again and again and again," Weaver said at an Avatar: Fire and Ash press conference attended by GamesRadar+. "I have to say that becoming a 14-year-old and getting back into that space, which for me was a challenging time, I'm so grateful that I know from the beginning that Jim has children, and this is also inspired by his life. And he loves his actors, and he gives us such a feeling of safety and encouragement in exploring every aspect of a scene.
"We have a lot of fun," she continued. "On Aliens, we didn't really have fun because we were really up against it, but that wasn't our fault."
At this point, Cameron chimed in: "It was less fun, trust me." Weaver continued: "But a great movie, nevertheless. And to have the opportunity to come back and work with Jim again and again, it's just been the greatest artistic present, and it was always my greatest goal, even when I started out, was to work with the same people again and again. I just thought that sounded nice and normal. And, of course, we're not in a normal world, but I feel so safe that I was able to not play a teenager, but really find my teenager again. And so thank you."
Cameron had high praise for Weaver, too. "You did it. When you walked into the Volume where we capture, you just were younger in spirit, in movement, and everything," he said. "I don't even know how aware of that you were. And, of course, you weren't playing somebody who was having a happy teenage life. You were remembering and sort of re-channeling a tough time in your life, but you were younger. I don't mean like two years younger. I mean like 40 years younger. It was amazing."
Avatar: Fire and Ash hits theaters this December 19. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the most exciting upcoming movies of this year and beyond.
