We’ll allow you one sentence just to reiterate: Sigourney Weaver plays a blue teenage alien in Avatar: The Way Of Water. For the actress, who also worked with Cameron all those years ago on Aliens, it was a chance to bring her inner child out to play. “I think we all pretty much remember how we felt as teenagers,” she tells Empire. “Of course I do. I was 5′ 10″ or 5′ 11″ when I was 11. I strongly felt that Kiri would be uncomfortable a lot of times. She is searching for who she is. I was thrilled to be given this challenge by Jim.” Cameron knew exactly what a leap it would be for the legendary actor. “As an acting challenge, it’s a big one,” he says. “We will have a 60-year-old actor playing a character [decades younger than] her actual biological age. Sig thought it was all kinds of fun.” Getting into that mindset meant Weaver workshopped a group of teenage girls to channel some youthful energy – and the results were remarkable. “Sigourney just got younger,” Cameron recalls. “She looked younger, had more energy, and never left Kiri’s side the whole time of conception. She had a sparkle in her face and a lightness in her step and a fun spirit.” While the reveal of Weaver’s role raises all sorts of other questions about what The Way Of Water has in store, one stands out the most: does this mean her mother, Neytiri, will inherit Ripley’s most famous streak? We’ll have a few months to wait and find out what “Get away from her, bitch!” translated into the Na’vi language. Empire’s Avatar: The Way Of Water issue hits newsstands on Thursday 7 July, with unprecedented access to the film, its cast and crew – heading to Cameron’s Lightstorm HQ and talking to the director himself, as well as the producer Jon Landau, starring Sam Worthington. Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis and more. Plus, it’s packed with never-before-seen images, opening up the world of Pandora like never before. Pre-order a copy online here – and stay tuned to empireonline.com for more major exclusives. Avatar: The Way Of Water hits UK cinemas from 16th December.
