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A14 PEOPLE & ARTS
Thursday 15 december 2022

Sigourney Weaver, James Cameron float on in ‘Way of Water’

By JAKE COYLE “Six and a half,” Weaver
AP Film Writer corrects. Getting back into
NEW YORK (AP) — To Sigour- the headspace of a teen-
ney Weaver, her friendship ager also demanded some
with James Cameron didn’t immersion. She spent time
really start on “Aliens,” the in high schools, she says. “I
1986 film Cameron direct- needed time to unearth my
ed her in. It started after. 14 year old.”
“He was quite serious most “I was this tall when I was 11,
of the time. He had a lot which was excruciating,”
riding on that. England was says the 5-foot-10 Weaver,
all about Ridley Scott (the the daughter of pioneering
original’s director) doing TV executive Pat Weaver
the next one,” Weaver re- and the British actress Eliz-
calls. “It wasn’t until we got abeth Inglis. “I still, at 14,
to the Venice Film Festival spent half my time wanting
where ‘Aliens’ was part of to disappear. I think Kiri has
some program. We were some issues that are difficult
having dinner afterward for her. She’s the adoptive
and I’m listening to Jim daughter. She’s very much
and I went, ‘Wait a min- part of the family, but she
ute. You’re funny? Where also has these things going
was this person all through Director James Cameron, left, and Sigourney Weaver pose for a photo to promote the film “Avatar: on that she doesn’t quite
The Way of Water” in London, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022.
those difficult months?’” Associated Press understand.”
That their first movie as fruit- It’s not a one-off perfor-
ful as the final product was es an unlikely pinnacle in (Sam Worthington) and playing a wide-eyed teen- mance, either. Cameron

wasn’t the smoothest ex- “Avatar: The Way of the Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña). It’s age Na’vi who looks a little envisions big things for
perience may have been Water,” Cameron’s long- not easy logic to parse out. like an alien Winona Ryder. Kiri in future “Avatar” in-
partly due to Cameron’s awaited oceanic opus. What, exactly, are the re- As Weaver likes to say, in stallments. He’s already
unconventional courtship Though Weaver co-starred productive capacities of science fiction, “Everything filmed the third film, begun
of Weaver. When she wa- in Cameron’s original 2009 avatars? is possible.” shooting the fourth and
vered on returning as Ripley “Avatar,” her character, “I had to jump through a “I know that no one but developed the fifth. Fans
in the sequel, Cameron ap- Dr. Grace Augustine was few fiery hoops to get her Jim would have cast me as of Weaver from “Ghost-
proached Arnold Schwar- shot and killed by the end on this movie. Not that she a 14-year-old. As he said, busters,” “Working Girl”
zenegger’s agent, who also of the film. In 2010, while was unwilling, but in terms people think I’m kind of and “Galaxy Quest” will
represented Weaver, with Cameron was sketching of narrative logic,” says serious and strong and all get one more chance to
the idea of Schwarzeneg- out what would eventually Cameron. “OK, she’s the those things. He knows that grow older, again, with the
ger taking over the film become plans for four more daughter of the avatar that’s just malarkey,” says 73-year-old actress.
series. It was a way, once “Avatar” films, he met with of Grace Augustine, you Weaver, smiling. “He said, “She’s a very, very impor-
word filtered back to her, Weaver to suggest a novel know what I mean? So of ‘This will be easy for you.’” tant character,” Cam-
to coax Weaver into sign- idea of how she might be course she looks like Grace. It required a bit more work eron says. “If we’re lucky
ing on. The gambit worked. reborn on Pandora. Makes sense, right? Oh, by than Cameron made out. enough, in terms of enough
“The first few weeks on Weaver would come back the way, you’ve got to be Like the rest of the cast, financial success on the
‘Aliens’ was a bit rocky in an entirely new role: Kiri, 14 years old.” to film the movie’s exten- movie to break even and
while we tested each oth- the 14-year-old biological But the end result of Camer- sive underwater scenes, make it a proper business
er,” Cameron says. “Af- daughter of Grace’s ava- on’s narrative logic is simple Weaver trained for the case going forward and
ter that, we’ve been fast tar. In the film, which opens enough: Sigourney Weaver underwater performance we get to do 3’’ we’ve al-
friends forever.” in theaters Thursday, Weav- is back in the “Avatar” fold. capture work by learning ready captured everything
That long-running friendship er plays the Na’vi charac- And not only that, through how to hold her breath with Sigourney for ‘3’ and
and collaboration reach- ter, adopted by Jake Sully performance capture she’s underwater for six minutes. then ‘4’ and ‘5.’ q

Comedian and actor Adam Sandler to get 2023 Mark Twain Prize

By The Associated Press prestigious award at a gala starred in the well-received
Over the years, The Mark on March 19. Netflix basketball drama-
Twain Prize for American “Adam Sandler has enter- comedy “Hustle,” has cre-
Humor has gone to such tained audiences for over ated a list of funny films,
luminaries as Richard Pryor, three decades with his like “Happy Gilmore,”
Carl Reiner, Whoopi Gold- films, music, and his tenure “Billy Madison,” “Grown
berg, Billy Crystal, George as a fan favorite cast mem- Ups,” “Big Daddy,” “The
Carlin and Ellen DeGe- ber on ‘SNL,’” said Kenne- Longest Yard” and “The
neres. Next year, it’s going dy Center President Debo- Waterboy.”His role as
to the guy who made us rah F. Rutter in a statement. Howard Ratner in “Uncut
crack up as Happy Gilm- “Adam has created char- Gems” garnered Sandler
our. acters that have made us several nominations and
The John F. Kennedy Cen- laugh, cry, and cry from awards, including winning
ter for the Performing Arts laughing.” the National Board of Re- Jackie Sandler, left, and her husband Adam Sandler appear at
said Tuesday that Adam The 56-year-old actor- view and the Independent the Governors Awards on Nov. 19, 2022 in Los Angeles.
Sandler would receive the comedian, who this year Spirit Award.q Associated Press