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'Avatar: The Way of Water': Kate Winslet’s 'fierce' first look pics draw mixed response from fans

Fans of the CGI in 'Avatar 2' are in awe of Winslet's Na'vi warrior, but many are skeptical about the movie's success

Fans can now see what Kate Winslet looks like as a Na'vi warrior in 'Avatar: The Way of Water,' which reunites her with her 'Titanic' director James Cameron. As soon as the photographs were out, people were quick to weigh in on the actress's new appearance.

More pictures from 'Avatar: The Way of Water' have been released, revealing Kate Winslet fully immersed in Pandora's reality. The first photographs of Winslet as Ronal, whom the actress describes as a “deeply loyal and a fearless leader,” were released by Empire magazine. Winslet co-stars in the long-awaited sequel with Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington, and others. The highly awaited sequel to James Cameron's 2009 film, featuring the Oscar winner as the head of the Metkayina, a lesser-known clan of the Na'vi tribe, is set to be released at the end of the year.

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“She is strong. A warrior,” Winslet described her persona to Empire magazine. “Even in the face of grave danger, and with an unborn baby on board, she still joins her people and fights for what she holds most dear: her family and their home.” For the film, Winslet learned to hold her breath underwater and broke Tom Cruise's record for the longest underwater breath-hold in a motion picture. While shooting 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation,' Cruise held his breath underwater for six minutes. For 'Avatar: The Way of Water,' Winslet held her breath for seven minutes and fourteen seconds. “It was brilliant, and I was very proud of myself, and I’ll probably never be able to do it again,” Winslet said in 2020 to Entertainment Tonight. “That came at the end of four weeks' worth of quite intense training, and it was in the dive tank, it was in the training tank. But I loved it.”

As for reconnecting with Cameron so many years after 'Titanic,' Winslet told Empire that Jim and she are very different individuals now than they were 26 years ago. He's calmer, while she believes she's more energetic now. According to Disney's official description, 'Avatar: The Way of Water' would pick up a decade after the original, telling "the story of the Sully family, the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure."

Fans react to Kate Winslet's look in 'Avatar 2': "She looks absolutely gorgeous"

Once the photographs went viral, fans were quick to post their opinions on Twitter. Some admired how stunning Winslet looked in the photos: "Stuns, alright. She looks absolutely gorgeous!"

One fan was quite intrigued by the looks and tweeted: "Kate Winslet is in the new Avatar?? That definitely piques my interest."

Winslet's presence in the sequel is also adding the film's popularity. A fan wrote: "I guess I need to watch Avatar now that Kate Winslet is going to be in the sequel."

Another added: "WAIT kate winslet on avatar 2? naur now i’m gonna have to watch it for #her."

A fan commented expressing their love for Winslet's fierce look, "Love Ronal's fierce look here!"

However, some were concerned the sequel's delay would have an impact on the film's box office collection, given that the prequel, 'Avatar,' is the highest-grossing film of all time with $2.84 billion at the global box office. A comment on the photos read: "Way too late for a sequel. The only thing that drew people to that movie was the CGI. Now it’s just seen as a live action cartoon. It will bomb."

"Damn totally forgot Kate Winslet was in this but there she is. Also forgot AVATAR was a thing," another added.

Some even wondered if the film will ever be released. A Twitter user wrote: "She would be amazing. Too bad the movie will NEVER see the light of day."

Meanwhile, a fan questioned if it was essential for the film to sign big names since Winslet looked virtually unrecognizable in her new appearance. They wrote: "When I see a pic Kate Winslet in Avatar where she looks unrecognizable, I have to wonder how important was it for that franchise to get big names."

Another fan echoed the opinion, tweeting: "Trying to hype up Kate Winslet in Avatar 2 when she just looks like another Navi is so funny."

'Avatar: The Way of Water' hits cinemas on December 16.

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