Avatar: The Way Of Water Called On Joel David Moore's Son For A Key (Uncredited) Role
I'm not exactly sure why, but it seems a little surprising that the star of the U.S. slasher film "Hatchet," actor Joel David Moore, actually has a child of his own now. Moore has grown up a lot since director Adam Green's bloody origin story of serial killer Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder), going on to great success in James Cameron's "Avatar" as the lovable anthropologist Norm Spellman. Of course, most audiences know Moore from Cameron's worldwide cultural phenomenon, although there is some crossover with moviegoers like myself who remember him running for his life in a Louisiana swamp.
Over the course of his varied career, Moore has gone from the head-ripping practical effects in "Hatchet" to the state of the art motion capture technology of "Avatar" and its sequel "Avatar: The Way of Water." Moore didn't get very much screen time in Cameron's latest space adventure, unfortunately. That didn't stop him from having an incredible time on set, largely due to the inclusion of his three-month-old son, Ollie, who also got to have a quick cameo in the long-awaited follow-up to "Avatar."
Speaking to Yahoo!, Moore remembered "Avatar" The Way of Water" producer Jon Landau phoning him up with an interesting request. Early on in the film, there's a quick montage featuring the birth of Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri's (Zoe Saldana) child in a ceremony with the Omaticaya clan. The production need an actual baby, and Moore and his wife Katherine Braham were happy to have their son Ollie showcased in his first featured role as a glorious blue Na'vi baby.
It's a blue family affair
Having appeared extensively in "Avatar," Joel David Moore was already accustomed to the complex shooting schedule and cutting-edge filming techniques used to bring the wold of Pandora to life. The same cannot be said for Moore's wife and son who were, understandably, a little overwhelmed when they set foot on set. Once they became a little more comfortable, Moore told Yahoo! having his newborn on set "was the joy of a lifetime."
The Child Labor Laws for Film Production are very specific, so Moore's son could only shoot for 15 minutes at a time. Even though Ollie was only involved in a couple of takes, ultimately, he still received the star treatment. "It was really nice because he had a trailer right next to my trailer," revealed Moore. "It said 'O. Moore' on his trailer and then 'Joel David Moore' on my trailer." How cute is that?
The quick flashback montage featuring Moore's son in "Avatar: The Way of Water" is important, largely because it shows how Jake and Neytiri have transitioned from star-crossed lovers and battle-tested warriors to proud parents trying to raise a family that are still somewhat seen as outsiders. In the film, Jake utters the line "Wherever we go, this family is our fortress." Apparently, that sentiment is true onscreen and off.
In another interesting tidbit, Moore mentioned one fact that makes his son Ollie a very unique performer within James Cameron's ever-expanding universe. "He probably had two or three takes total, something around there, which is the shortest amount of takes that maybe has ever happened on 'Avatar.'" Sounds like the kid's a natural.
Audiences will find out what's happening next with Moore's character Norm, the Sully family, and other new clans and cultures when "Avatar 3" splashes into theaters on December 20, 2024.