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Avatar: The Way of Water director James Cameron lost bets because he underestimated Neytiri’s Zoe Saldaña on her impressive archery skills.
Avatar: The Way of Water lead actress Zoe Saldaña reveals her archery skills caused director James Cameron to lose some bets. Saldaña reprises her role as Neytiri in Avatar: The Way of Water. Neytiri was established as a great Na’vi warrior in 2009’s Avatar, using a bow and arrow to join the fight against the Sky People when they encroached on Pandora’s beautiful forest landscape. As Neytiri and his Sully family leave the Omaticaya clan in search of refuge in Metkayina territory, Neytiri uses his archery skills less than in the first, but still exhibits them in the film.
Seemingly having little faith in the actress’ archery skills, Cameron lost money betting on Saldaña’s ability to hit targets. As Saldaña and Avatar: The Way of the Water co-star Sam Worthington tells People, Saldaña herself didn’t even quite believe she could hit some of the targets at first. Thus, Cameron bet against her during the filming of Avatar: The Way of the Water. When Saldaña started getting a better shot and Cameron started losing bets of up to $100, the director started to change his strategy. Check out Worthington and Saldaña’s story below:
Saldaña: “I am proud of the fact that Jim [Cameron] lost bets on whether or not I can hit a mark again. [Mimics bow and arrow]. So he’ll like, you know he’ll say ‘go hit that’. And in my head, I’ll be like ‘there’s no way I can.’ »
Worthington: “I think he lost a lot of money, he lost a lot of money betting against Zoe. »
Saldaña: “Exactly, once it was, I think it was 100 dollars. And then the second time it was like 50 bucks. »
Worthington: “It kept going down as you got better. »
How Zoe Saldaña’s archery skills flourished on screen
Since Neytiri, Jake Sully, and the Sully children spend the middle third of Avatar: The Way of the Water learning the ways of the Metkayina people, Neytiri has less screen time to fight than she does. did in the first Avatar movie. Nevertheless, Saldaña’s training showed in the archery sections. In the opening sequence of Avatar: The Way of the Water, Jake Sully recounts the events that unfold over time between Avatar and its sequel. Among the images is a photo of Neytiri de Saldaña shooting a bow and arrow while pregnant.
This shot, which appeared in the film’s trailer, is an example of the grace and strength with which Saldaña wields a bow and arrow while playing the part. Combined with the lavish background and smooth cinematography of Avatar: The Way of Water, the shots of Neytiri’s archery show the positive results of Saldaña’s hours of training. She wields this weapon with the dignity of a Na’vi warrior, fitting in as well as her swimming strokes.
Other skills acquired by the actors for Avatar: the way of the water
Many of the actors in Avatar: The Way of Water went through intensive training to learn how to swim and hold their breath for long periods underwater so they could act underwater for the underwater motion capture sequences. marines. The cast of Avatar also had to edit replicas of the film’s creatures to make the scenes more realistic when rendered on screen, and these physical feats are part of what made Avatar: The Way of Water so dazzling to watch. CGI contributes to much of the setting, but it’s the incredibly physical labor of the actors and those who trained them that make Pandora’s moves a truly immersive experience.
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