Kate Winslet talks about playing the Matriarch of the Metkayina clan in Avatar: The Way of Water!

Thirteen years after Academy Award®-winner James Cameron introduced viewers to a world unlike any they had ever seen with his breathtaking film Avatar, Disney+ Hotstar is all set to release the eagerly-awaited sequel #Avatar:TheWayofWater on June 7. Available in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, this groundbreaking cinematic odyssey unveils a new underwater adventure that promises to mesmerise viewers again. Returning to reprise their iconic roles, #SamWorthington and #ZoeSaldaña portray Jake Sully and Neytiri, devoted parents doing everything possible to protect their family. Joining them are esteemed actors #SigourneyWeaver, #StephenLang, #CliffCurtis and Academy Award® winner #KateWinslet. The screenplay, a collaborative effort by James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Josh Friedman, and Shane Salerno, captures the essence of the story while Cameron and Jon Landau serve as the film’s producers.

Reuniting with James Cameron for the first time since 1997’s Titanic, Academy Award® winner Kate Winslet portrays Ronal, the Tsahik, or Shamanic Matriarch of the Metkayina clan, married to Tonowari (Cliff Curtis), the Olo’eyktan of the clan.

Talking about her character and how it excited her, Kate said, “James described my character as the female warrior, goddess, leader of the Metkayina clan and he said that she was ferociously protective of her family and that she would stop at nothing to take care of them and I was immediately sucked in, it sounded amazing to me.”

She further explained the Metkayina clan and said her character was the one who made decisions for the family. “The Metkayina are slightly a different physical form of Navi(the human clan). They live on and in the water. They respect the water. They also live with nature, so life underwater and the animals underwater are part of their family and culture. Physically they are a taller, slightly paler shade of blue and they have a sort of an extra piece on their forearm which almost resembles a fin for the power in the water. Their tale is thick for thrashing through the water speed. Ronal is the female leader alongside Tonowari, her husband. But really, it is Ronal who makes the decisions and that is fantastic.”

The movie also introduces audiences to a group of talented young actors including Britain Dalton, Jamie Flatters, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion and Bailey Bass. Cameron’s below-the-line team includes Production Designers Dylan Cole and Ben Procter, Academy Award® winning Director of Photography Russell Carpenter, and Academy Award® winning Costume Designer Deborah L. Scott, with Music by Simon Franglen.

Catch Avatar: The Way of Water only on Disney+ Hotstar on June 7, 2023.