13 years ago, director James Cameron changed the face of cinema for good. Taking audiences to the fictional biosphere of Pandora, Avatar’s never-before-seen CGI and performance capture technology paved the way for it to become the highest-grossing film of all time.

Following the story of paraplegic marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), viewers fell in love with his permanent transition into avatar form — largely thanks to the many creatures, flora, and breathtaking views that inhabit his new home.

“We didn’t see the world change. And because of that, I think we were just in our filming bubble and we’re enjoying all those little moments. As much as this movie is so big, at the end of the day, I think is acting is acting.”

“To be in a film that talks about the responsibility of a shared connection between a community, showing people that ‘if in doubt, look into the world and see what you can find’ is an amazing way of connecting”, Flatters adds.

“The fact that a big action film can have that at its core, as its ethos, is quite cool.”

Cameron’s reputation for changing the world of film through the Avatar franchise doesn’t show any signs of stopping with its sequel.

Made with an astronomical $250 million budget, the oceanic world of the Metkayina clan feels like a National Geographic expose in itself.

Working inside a water tank holding 250,000 gallons of water, the cast learned how to freedive to simulate the Metkayina hunting on the ocean floor.

“We trained with [freediver] Kirk Krack and many other amazing coaches. We were in the water a lot — like sometimes four, five days a week”, explains Bliss.

But does an extra-terrestrial territory come with an added sense of fear? Not for Bass, even while being initially hesitant to begin training.

“When you have some of the world’s best coaches training you to complete these scenes, and you have a visionary director like Jim who’s also very familiar with the ocean and water, you’re at ease.