Avatar: Fire and Ash, the cast in Milan talks about fifteen years within the saga

The cast of Avatar: Fire and Ash in Milan: fifteen years of saga, between veterans and new generations

Being part of a project like James Cameron's Avatar saga changes your life. It's not just a figure of speech, at least in this case: both for the veteran actors tied to the project and for very young performers who were chosen by James Cameron as teenagers and have been part of the world of Pandora for fifteen years and are, in their own way, veterans too. 

In Milan today, a representative quintet from the third film in the saga presented Avatar: Fire and Ash ahead of its Italian release on December 18, 2024, describing this set as a shared journey, a collective cinematic education that has lasted fifteen years.

Sam Worthington and Stephen Lang experience it as veterans, witnesses to a project that began in 2009 and grew with them on both technological and human fronts. Alongside them, young Bailey Bass, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, and Jack Champion belong to another generation: they entered the saga as teenagers and today, as adults, they recount how Pandora has shaped their identity more than any other experience. Between performance capture, Na’vi cultures, and rising female figures, Fire and Ash is the chapter that most reflects this dual soul: the consolidated legacy and the passing of the torch.

For them, Avatar is not just a continuously expanding technological saga, but a living organism that changes along with those who inhabit it. Worthington speaks of deeper emotions and total vulnerability on set, while Lang recalls Italian cinema masters as the root of his vocation. Bliss, Bass, and Champion, however, emphasize the feeling of belonging: growing up with Cameron as a guide, with a world that continues to reinvent itself film after film.

Between sincere confessions, personal memories, and the energy of a crew that considers this universe a second home, Avatar: Fire and Ash presents itself as such: a work that intertwines technique and emotional maturation, designed to once again push the limits of what cinema can do – and what these actors have become by telling its story.

The cast of Avatar - Fire and Ash talks about the film

What does it mean to be part of the world of Avatar, increasingly complex and layered, guided by James Cameron's vision?
Stephen Lang – It means being part of a large creative family that has worked together for many years, with colleagues all over the world who put enormous dedication into a project born from the mind of our leader, Jim Cameron. It's a gift that keeps on giving.

Bailey Bass – For us who joined the cast at a very young age, it was something magical. When the first Avatar came out, we were children, we didn't yet understand how revolutionary it was. It was our first big project, I was 13, and we were treated with respect and total involvement. It's a true blessing to come back and support such an exciting and action-packed story.

Trinity Jo-Li Bliss – I feel like part of the Avatar family. Jim is the parent of this family: he inspires us every day. I'm grateful to be here, to share with you the experience we had making this film.

Jack Champion – For me, it's the greatest blessing in life. I was cast when I was 12 and Avatar has been with me until today. I wouldn't be the person I am without this experience.

What does it mean to bring the message of Avatar, linked to the planet, resources, and diversity, into the real world today?

Sam Worthington – Jim started by exploring themes close to his heart, then the story became deeply familial. At its core is how a family survives in extreme circumstances. We live in uncertain times, and often the only thing left is love for one another.

Stephen Lang – As important as the themes are, Avatar is not an editorial. Human beings need stories: they illuminate the past, point to the future, and make the present more bearable. Jim is a master at telling them.

 Bailey Bass – It's a story anyone can relate to. It talks about family, chosen or biological, and it's universal.

Trinity Jo-Li Bliss – There's also a lot of “girl power”. We introduce a new female antagonist, Varang, and many strong female figures. The film is spectacular but deeply human: it reminds us how much more similar we are than different.

What new elements does Avatar: Fire and Ash bring on a technical and emotional level?

Sam Worthington – The emotions are deeper. The second and third films were conceived as a single story: this chapter is bigger, bolder. Every character is now looking for their place in the world, and the narrative expands to include Quaritch, Varang, and many new characters.

Stephen Lang – Presenting this film in Italy is special: this country is one of the hearts of world cinema. Your masters, Fellini, Visconti, Antonioni, Masina, Mastroianni, are among the reasons I started this profession. I believe the film will find fertile ground here.

Trinity Jo-Li Bliss – It's a fiercely immersive film: it hits your senses, your heart, everything. We meet new clans and our new villain Varang. Jim continues to push the boundaries of cinema, and we are honored to be part of this glorious moment.

What challenges or limitations did performance capture impose on your acting?

Sam Worthington – Paradoxically, it's freer. On a traditional set, there are a thousand distractions. Here, only the truth between actors and director remains. From the first film, Jim promised me that every nuance (a breath, a thought, a blink of an eye) would be preserved in the digital character. He did it, and always better. It's acting in its purest form.

Jack Champion – Having done both performance capture and live action, I can say that in capture, the emotion is more naked: you don't worry about the camera or the lights, only the scene. Jim finds the shot later.

Sam Worthington – I always tell newcomers: the only camera that matters is the one in front of your face. You're always in close-up, always vulnerable. There are no power games: it's all real, right there in the moment.

What was it like playing Spider, the only human in the Sully family?

Jack Champion – Surprisingly simple, as an actor. I spent two years in performance capture with the entire cast, building real relationships. When I then filmed in live action in New Zealand, even without them on set, I was acting on their performances, which I knew by heart. Jim had a system with an iPad that showed the actors' facial cams in giant scale: it was like having them there. I just had to trust the process.

How have you grown with your characters and how have you managed the sense of responsibility?

Bailey Bass – Jim involves us deeply. He wants us to put ourselves into the characters, and that's why Tsireya feels so real. He's a generous and human director: he always seeks the most honest truth in our performances.

Trinity Jo-Li Bliss – Growing up with Tuk has been an honor. Every day with Jim was creative, fluid, emotional. The hardest part was going home at the end of the day.

Jack Champion – We are the new generation of Pandora, children of war. It could have become a dark story, but our characters always seek the light. It's important, especially for those who grow up with these films.

How do you experience the role of one of cinema's great “villains”? Has it ever brought you hostility off-screen?

Stephen Lang – I live a fairly quiet life. For years I've said that a villain doesn't see himself as evil, but that's not entirely true: I know what my character's function is. For a villain to work, the audience has to love to hate him… and hate themselves a little for loving him. Repeating the Quaritch from the first film would have been foolish: Jim made him deeper, more human. I am his lawyer, I defend his point of view to the end.
And yes, the greatest Italian actress remains Claudia Cardinale: having her as the first image in my hotel room was a beautiful sign.

In the second film, you faced great underwater challenges. In Avatar: Fire and Ash, was there anything that truly pushed you beyond your limits?

Sam Worthington – For me, this press conference! But really: every day on Avatar is a challenge. If Jim stopped pushing the limit, it wouldn't be Avatar. There's nothing like it, and I don't think there will be another saga like this. The difficulties (physical, technical, emotional) are what makes the journey unique and what pays off when we see it in the cinema with the audience.