‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’: Sigourney Weaver Plays A Teenage Na’vi In James Cameron’s Upcoming Sequel

When Sigourney Weaver appeared on the cast list for James Cameron’s upcoming “Avatar: The Way Of Water,” fans of the mega-franchise had some serious questions. Namely, who is she playing in the sequel? For those who don’t remember (and it’s okay if you don’t, because “Avatar” came out in 2009, and no one except for franchise uber-fans have watched it since), Weaver played Dr. Grace Augustine, the leader of the RDA’s avatar program and a scientist sympathetic to the Na’Vi who dies in the first film. So, is Weaver back as Augustine somehow? 

READ MORE: ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’: What We Learned From Watching The New Trailer 

That couldn’t be more off base. Empire reveals in their latest issue that Weaver doesn’t play Augustine or any other human character. Instead, she plays Kiri, a Na’vi teenager, and the adoptive daughter of Sam Worthington’s Jake Sully and Zoe Saldaña’s Neytiri. That’s right, Sigourney Weaver plays an alien teenager with aqueous blue skin in James Cameron’s “Avatar” sequel. That’s quite a departure from Augustine’s grounded scientist, but given how CGI-heavy these movies are, the casting choice isn’t as outlandish as it appears at first glance.

Besides, Weaver couldn’t be more excited about the role. “I think we all pretty much remember what we were feeling as adolescents,” the actress told Empire. “I certainly do. I was 5′ 10″ or 5′ 11″ when I was 11. I felt strongly that Kiri would feel awkward a lot of the time. She’s searching for who she is. I was thrilled to be given that challenge by Jim.” Weaver is also on the cast list for the as-yet-unnamed “Avatar 3,” so it’s a safe bet that Kiri shows up in that film, too.

Cameron also found casting Weaver in the role of a teenager an exciting challenge. “We’re gonna have a 60-something actor playing a character [decades younger than] her actual biological age,” Cameron said about the prospect of casting Weaver as Kiri, “Sig thought it was all kinds of fun.” And Cameron was pleasantly surprised at the youthful energy Weaver could channel into her performance. Cameron continued, “Sigourney just became younger. She looked younger, she had more energy, and she never quite stepped out of Kiri for our whole capture period. She had a glow on her face and lightness in her step and a fun spirit.” Will that energy translate through Kiri’s CGI form onscreen? Audiences find out in December, when “The Way Of Water” hits theaters.

Beyond “The Way Of Water” and its sequel, Weaver also has Paul Schrader’s “Master Gardener” on deck later this year. She’s also in Phyllis Nagy’s “Call Jane,” which premiered at Sundance earlier this year and has an October theatrical release.

James Cameron’s mega-franchise returns after a 13-year hiatus when “Avatar: The Way Of Water” hits theaters on December 16. Watch the teaser trailer for the film below.