The 'Avatar 2' Cast Shared Tips For Holding Your Breath & One Star Did It For 7 Minutes
When James Cameron was casting actors for his Avatar sequel, The Way Of Water, there were two must-have skills: you must be able to swim, and you must be able to hold your breath for a while.
The blockbuster follow-up to Cameron's 2009 hit dropped earlier this month, and it's absolutely true to its title with plenty of action and acting going on underwater. And while most of Pandora is rendered by computers, the water itself is very real.
Cameron actually shot much of the film in a custom-designed water tank, and the actors had to hold their breath for at least two minutes to get the camera shots he wanted without pesky air bubbles in the way.
"You can't have a lot of air bubbles," Cameron is quoted as saying in production notes released by Disney. "Every one of those air bubbles is a little wiggling mirror."
No one held their breath longer than Kate Winslet, who plays Ronal in the movie. Winslet actually held her breath for 7 minutes and 20 seconds, and she says she's got the video to prove it.
"I have the video of me surfacing saying, 'Am I dead? Have I died?'" she told Total Film. "Straight away I wanted to know my time, and I couldn't believe it."
‘Avatar 2’ Cast On Motion-Capture & Becoming Na’vi In ‘The Way Of Water’youtu.be
Narcity recently sat down with Winslet's co-stars Bailey Bass (Tsireya), Jamie Flatters (Neteyam), Trinity Jo-Li Bliss (Tuk) and Jack Champion (Spider) to talk about the film, and we just had ask for a few tips on holding your breath.
"Don't do it in the bathtub," Flatters joked in response.
"Long, long, slow exhales outwards," her suggested. "Calm the heart. Don't think about nothing. The present is all you need. Mind over matter will make magic."
Bass then jumped in with a bit of safety advice. "Please don't do it alone," she said. "We always had a buddy."
"Go find God on the other side," added Flatters.
Of course, you don't need to hold your breath to enjoy the stunning visuals of Pandora's oceans.
Avatar: The Way Of Water is out now in theatres.
20th Century Studios | Disney
20th Century Studios | Disney
20th Century Studios | Disney