'Avatar: The Way of Water': Kate Winslet shares her 'exciting' experience on set

Kate Winslet reunited with director James Cameron, who directed Titanic, on Avatar: The Way of Water.

The actress essays the role of Ronal, the leader of the water-based Metkayina, the inhabitants of the reefs on the planet of Pandora. To prepare for the role, she undertook a freediving boot camp and managed to record 7 minutes and 14 seconds underwater without breathing, via The Collider.

In an interview with Empire, Winslet discussed at length what it was that brought her back to Cameron. She also shared why she felt the time was right to join the world of Avatar; even if Cameron was surprised, she went back to film in the water once more.

“I absolutely loved the first Avatar movie," said Winslet. “The deeper themes it conveys about our declining planet were extremely poignant, and that mattered to me. So, I had no reservations at all.”

She continued, “Plus, I was jumping into a well-oiled machine, so I was excited to think that everything they had learned as filmmakers from the first movie, would have only been ironed out and amplified in its second go around. And that's fun!”

She also added, "I was just excited about all of it. To work with Sig and Zoe and Sam, of course. But to be a part of something that was so impactful and important on its first outing, was just so exciting. Everyone welcomed me immediately into the Pandora family.”

She also added that the ‘kids’ wanted to learn all the time from her. “All the kids were adorable and want[ed] to learn all the time. And that was one of my favourite parts of the process actually… to be able to give those teenagers a bit of guidance here and there. Because it's tough when you are young and learning on the job, and sometimes it's a challenge just to put your vulnerabilities to one side and focus.”

She continued, “So, getting to spend time with them was something I really valued. Because I understood what some of them may have felt like – those feelings of being nervous and awkward when you are embarking on a career in film at such a young age.”

Cameron has previously announced his plans for four additional sequels to his 2009 hit film Avatar, which will be released between 2020 and 2025, via Entertainment Tonight.

Avatar: The Way of Water premieres on December 16, 2022.