Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington talk Avatar: The Way of Water tech

Avatar: The Way of Water stars Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington knew they were signing up to be 'guinea pigs' again with the sequel, but they relished the technical challenge.

The stars reprise their roles as Na'vi warrior Neytiri and Jake Sully — a human who now lives permanently in the form of his blue-hued avatar.

Avatar: The Way of Water is in cinemas and IMAX from 16 December.

Video transcript

TOM BEASLEY: When you got back into this role, was the technology noticeably different or did you feel like, oh, it's OK. We've done this. We can do it again, or was it, oh my gosh, it's [INAUDIBLE] all over again.

SAM WORTHINGTON: Well, the first time it was very unique, and that's what made it groundbreaking because no one had tried it before to the level that we were doing it. And you know that you're going to be guinea pigs again with Jim. He's always going to push it.

ZOE SALDAÑA: You're like, OK.

SAM WORTHINGTON: The technology for us doesn't change. The environment changed because where we filmed called the Volume was now underwater. But that we knew that was going to lend itself to the authenticity of what we were doing. And so yeah, that's a new challenge, but, that's what Jim is about. Jim isn't going to make a movie if it's just the same story and same tech. He's just going to keep pushing what film can do and what tools he's got.

TOM BEASLEY: And I mean the underwater stuff is groundbreaking.

ZOE SALDAÑA: Wow.

TOM BEASLEY: I was just speaking to John, and I said to him, I gasped the first time the characters went under the water. I couldn't believe it. I guess, were you aware while you were doing it just how new it was and how impressive it was going to look?

SAM WORTHINGTON: Well, you know it's new because no one had tried it. So--

ZOE SALDAÑA: Absolutely.

SAM WORTHINGTON: You're jumping in the pool with all your power packs on, you think you're going to get zapped.

ZOE SALDAÑA: I know, you're like, is this safe? is this going to leak?

SAM WORTHINGTON: And they're saying as I'm [? bombing. ?] It's a bit late now, Samuel. But I think the good thing about it is that is an immersive quality. And this is a movie that you're going to experience it, not just see it. As you said, you were gasping, and I think, that's what they were using. Jim's got a great set of tools now that he is a master of, and that's what he wanted to do to continue this saga telling.

ZOE SALDAÑA: It's true, and he had been saying it for years that the next challenge, the next step is we're going to the water. And then when you hear him say that you go, that's great, but you have-- and then you're thinking, what does he mean by that? Because you never really know what he means--

SAM WORTHINGTON: You ain't going to believe--

ZOE SALDAÑA: --until you see it, until you feel it.