According to the movie’s star, director James Cameron lost bets due to leading lady Zoe Saldana’s archery abilities. In Avatar: The Way of Water, Saldana returns as Neytiri. In the 2009 film Avatar, Neytiri was shown as a fierce Na’vi warrior, utilizing a bow and arrow to join the battle against the Sky People as they encroached on Pandora’s lovely forested scenery. Although Neytiri uses her archery abilities less frequently than in the previous movie, she nevertheless does so when she and her Sully family flee the Omaticaya clan in search of safety in Metkayina land.
Cameron apparently had little trust in Saldana’s ability to strike targets with her bow and lost money on his wagers. Saldana and Sam Worthington, her co-star in Avatar: The Way of Water, revealed to People that Saldana initially had doubts about her ability to hit some of the targets. Cameron so wagered against her when Avatar: The Way of Water was filmed. The filmmaker started adjusting his approach as Saldana started taking better shots and Cameron started losing wagers of up to $100. Here is the story of Worthington and Saldana:
How Zoe Saldana’s Archery Techniques Excelled on Screen
Neytiri gets less on-screen time to battle than she had in the first Avatar movie since she, Jake Sully, and the Sully kids spend the second third of Avatar: The Way of Water studying the Metkayina culture. Saldana’s training nonetheless became apparent in the archery portions. Jake Sully tells the story of what transpired between Avatar and its sequel in the opening scene of Avatar: The Way of Water. One of the pictures shows Neytiri from Saldana shooting a bow and arrow when she is expecting.
This image, which appeared in the movie’s trailer, shows how skillfully and powerfully Saldana uses a bow and arrow while performing the part. Shots of Neytiri’s archery demonstrate the benefits of Saldana’s extensive training, especially when paired with the lush backdrop and fluid cinematography in Avatar: The Way of Water. She fits in as seamlessly as her swimming strokes, handling these weapons with the pride of a Na’vi warrior.
