American actress Zoe Saldana, who portrayed Neytiri in the Avatar film series, has shared her personal journey in performing the role for the latest film, which she describes as more emotional than the previous two installments.
"Avatar: Fire and Ash" was released in the Chinese mainland and North America on December 19, after the much-anticipated sci-fi epic had its initial Chinese premiere at the 7th Hainan Island International Film Festival in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, on December 8.
Saldana discussed the film in an interview in Hainan with China Central Television (CCTV).
"It's definitely more emotional than 'The Way of Water,' more emotional than Avatar 1. It's the Sully family, not just Jake and Neytiri. They have their children. And they just buried one child. So, they are finding themselves in a place where they are having to pick up the pieces. And they don't really know what they are going to do," she said.
The themes of loss resonated deeply with her, causing her to reflect on her own blessings, she said.
"My life, in 2017, I had all of my children. And my last child was still a baby. He was only four months old. So, getting to experience such joy and happiness in my personal life, and then coming to work to embody the skin of a woman who is absolutely devastated after losing her child was really hard, but I always felt that I had the support," said the actress.
She also praised the ambition and storytelling prowess of James Cameron, writer and director of the Avatar series.
"I do believe that James' stories, though fantastical, are still very relatable. I very much can relate a lot of themes that Jim is highlighting in his film," she said.
Avatar 3 star highlights emotional depth of blockbuster film
