Avatar 2: New picture of Kate Winslet filming underwater as ‘water person’ Ronal is released

Winslet had previously revealed that she learnt to free-dive for over seven minutes while filming the sequels

A new picture of Kate Winslet free-diving while filming underwater for Avatar 2 has been released.

In an image shared on the official Avatar social media feeds on Monday (26 October), the Titanic actor is seen standing at the bottom of a water tank to shoot performance capture scenes of her character Ronal, who she has previously described as a “water person”.

Avatar 2 is due for release in December 2022 after it was pushed back a year due to the coronavirus.

Details around the plot of the Avatar sequels are unclear, but we do know that much of the action will take place underwater.

Winslet previously revealed that she, like the rest of the cast, had to learn to to hold her breath for an extended period of time for the film. The scenes were shot in a 900,000 gallon tank that was built specifically for the sequels.

“I had to learn how to free-dive to play that role in Avatar, and that was just incredible,” Winslet, 45, said. “My longest breath hold was seven minutes and 14 seconds, like crazy, crazy stuff.”

Last week, Sigourney Weaver also opened up about the challenges she faced filming Avatar 2, as well as her desire to prove that she wasn’t too old to take part in the action aged 71.

“I had some concerns,” Weaver said of learning that she’d have to hold her breath underwater for six minutes. “But that’s what the training was for. And I really wanted to do it.”

She continued: “I didn’t want anyone to think, ‘Oh, she’s old, she can’t do this.’”

Weaver, along with Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, is returning to the franchise after starring in the 2009 box-office smash.

The three other Avatar sequels were filmed at the same time as Avatar 2, with the five-film franchise finally being completed by Christmas 2028.