Zoe Saldana Was Moved To Tears By The Opening Of Avatar 2

"Avatar" came out in 2009, and it's hard to conceptualize how long ago that really was. As we've learned over the pandemic, time means nothing. The long-promised sequels are finally coming out, with "Avatar 2" hitting theaters on December 16, 2022 — and more on the way. These have been spoken about for so long, that maybe, like me, you didn't ever expect to see them at all. 

Now we're hearing from Zoe Saldaña about the footage she's seen from "Avatar 2," and that it moved her to tears. It's nice to know, because I, like many of you, didn't love the first one. You've heard all the arguments, so I won't rehash them here. It was certainly pretty, but that's about all I can compliment. Saldaña, who reprises the role of Neytiri, spoke to Kevin McCarthy (via Screen Rant) about the 20 minutes of footage from "Avatar 2" that she's seen while doing a press tour for "The Adam Project," and she's giving it high praise. 

Saldaña said of the new film:

"I can get choked up just talking about it, because I was able to see just 20 minutes of the second installment right before the year ended, last year. And I was speechless, I was moved to tears. One thing nobody really knows about Jim [Cameron] is that Jim is also a big crier, so... [laughs] [...] This story is going to be compelling. Avatar 2 is definitely a leap from the Avatar 1, so I think you really have to brace yourself for it, but it's going to be an adventure you will not forget."

Okay, I'm really trying hard to picture Cameron in tears, but I cannot ask this much of my brain today. 

We're going to be seeing a lot of underwater work in "Avatar 2," with the cast not only having to be certified in scuba, but learning to hold their breath in a freedive for up to seven-and-a-half-minutes at a time. The title for the longest freedive on set that we know of so far is Kate Winslet. Now I'm not saying you have to cast her in any upcoming "Aquaman" movies, but I'm not not saying that. 

In addition to Saldaña and Winslet, the film stars returning actors Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, CCH Pounder, Joel David Moore, Dileep Rao, Giovanni Ribisi, Matt Gerald, and Stephen Lang, as well as new cast members Michelle Yeoh, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, and Oona Chaplin.

Stay tuned for news on "Avatar 3," "Avatar 4," and "Avatar 5," and probably a thousand more.