This is why Sigourney Weaver plays a teenager in Avatar, as she addresses the logistics behind that 'kiss' scene with her 16-year-old co-star.
Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third instalment in James Cameron’s Avatar franchise, released in theaters on December 19.
The latest movie sees Weaver, 76, reprise her role as Kiri, a teenage Na’vi-human hybrid adopted into the Sully family.
Jack Champion, now 21, also returns to his role of Spider, a human teenager living on Pandora who becomes part of the extended Sully family.
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The pair share a kiss in the Fire and Ash, which has of course raised some eyebrows considering the pair's 55-year age-gap.
Champion was between the ages of 14 and 16 years old while filming, while Sigourney would've been between 69 and 71.
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, she explained: "That scene where I say, 'You're perfect just as you are,' we had to be very delicate about that scene because it included a kiss. "Obviously, I wasn't going to kiss Jack, who was 14 or 15, in real life."
Breaking down what actually happened, she said that when the scene came, she and Cameron asked Champion 'to pick someone I could kiss and he did.'
She continued: "Then I imagine when I wasn't there, they picked someone appropriate for Jack."
She said the decision to film the scene separately, using age-appropriate stand-ins, helped ensure it was handled properly by all involved.
"That concern about all of that, which is quite legitimate, was going on," she added. "And I’m glad the scene survived, because when I saw it, I believed it.
"It’s so genuine between the two of them, and any concern about Jack’s real age and my real age, I think there’s no room for it there."
So, why exactly does Sigourney play a teen in the hit movie franchise? Spoilers ahead...
If you've already seen the films then of course, you'll already know.
But if you haven't, or you need a refresher, then this is why.
Weaver first appeared in the original 2009 Avatar as Dr Grace Augustine, a human scientist who is killed off in the film.
She later returned to the franchise in sequels The Way of Water and Fire and Ash, this time as teen Kiri, a Na’vi-human hybrid created from Grace’s avatar and raised by Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) as part of their family.
The TikTok account Terr.Film adds further context, pointing out that Weaver’s real age is effectively masked by the film’s CGI - hence her true age doesn't exactly matter.
Meanwhile Cameron, who has worked with Weaver since Alien in 1986, has previously said the actress brings a naturally 'youthful' energy to her performances.
And Weaver herself took the role seriously, even spending time observing high school girls to better understand their modern mannerisms.
Despite all this, the casting doesn't exactly sit right with everyone.
Taking to the comments section on TikTok, some slammed the decision to have Weaver playing a teen as 'unnatural,' contradicting Cameron's own beliefs.
"I LOVE Kiri but Sigourney's voice does not suit her at all," one person weighed in.
"Pisses me off so much, it sounds so unnatural," a second agreed.
"I think it’s the worst decision they’ve made," a third said.
Some reckon it works, though.
"Her voice being mature and feeling like an old soul is intentional and works very well considering Kiri’s character," somebody else defended.
"SPOILER. It’s because she’s a clone," another resolved.
Topics: James Cameron, Film and TV, Hollywood, Entertainment, Celebrity
Ellie Kemp