Kate Winslet showcases her free-diving skills in amazing glimpse of Avatar 2’s underwater filming

Kate Winslet recently revealed she can hold her breath for over seven minutes since learning free-diving for 2021’s Avatar 2.

And a behind-the-scenes glimpse from filming, shared by producer Jon Landau, showed just how skilled the actress, 45, has become as she strutted underwater with a billowing cape while shooting the eagerly-anticipated sequel. 

The British actress, who plays a character called Ronal, ‘a water person’, in Avatar 2 and 3, shot her role on the New Zealand set in 2018 and spoke about the role in Hollywood Reporter in August – in which she revealed her new skill. 

Wow! Kate Winslet showcased her newly-acquired free-diving skills in an amazing behind-the-scenes glimpse of Avatar 2’s underwater filming

Kate’s role in the movie marks her reunion with director James Cameron and producer Jon, who was clearly impressed with her moves. 

In the caption for the image, Jon quoted Kate’s interview, penning: ‘Wanted to share this photo of Kate Winslet after reading her interview in The Hollywood Reporter… 

‘[She said: “I had to learn how to free-dive to play that role in Avatar, and that was just incredible. My longest breath hold was seven minutes and 14 seconds, like crazy, crazy stuff”…

‘She stops herself, afraid that she’s given away too much on the top-secret project. “Oh no, actually, I can’t. Yeah, I play a water person. I am a water person,” is all she will offer, instead shifting to praise of Cameron.”‘ 

Way back when! Kate shot to fame alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in James Cameron’s 1997 epic Titanic 

Technology in action: Producer Jon Landau has shared various looks at underwater filming

In August, she gave a glimpse into what the director is demanding of his stars for the movie that’s being shot using motion caption technology.

On their reunion, she said: ‘It was so wonderful to work with Jim again. Time has changed him. Jim has become a father a few more times over. He is a calmer person. Chilled. You can just feel him enjoying it more this time.’

Her starring role in 1997’s Titanic catapulted her, at age 21, to international stardom as it did for her co-star Leonardo DiCaprio, then 22.

In June, Cameron and his crew returned to New Zealand to resume production after it had been halted in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Made her famous: Winslet’s starring role in 1997’s Titanic catapulted her, at age 21, to international stardom as it did for her co-star Leonardo DiCaprio, then 22

They were allowed back on economic grounds.

Producer Jon, after completing the mandated 14-day quarantine, told the country’s 1News: ‘This one production alone is going to hire 400 New Zealanders to work on it. We’re going to spend, in the next five months alone, over $70 million here.’

The highly-anticipated sequels to the groundbreaking 2009 sci-fi blockbuster are being made at Stone Street Studios , a complex of four purpose-built, state-of-the-art sound stages in Wellington.

The studios have been used for several high-profile productions including the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, The Hobbit trilogy, King Kong and the original Avatar.

Blockbuster: Avatar was Cameron’s first feature-length fictional movie since 1997’s Titanic. Avatar 2 is set to premiere in December 2021 and will be followed by Avatar 3 in December 2023, Avatar 4 in December 2025, and Avatar 5 in December 2027

Cameron is working on Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 simultaneously with the first of the sequels scheduled to premiere in December 2021.

The filmmaker has previously revealed that Avatar 2 will be followed by Avatar 3 in December 2023, Avatar 4 in December 2025, and Avatar 5 in December 2027.

Avatar 2 stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, Edie Falco, Cliff Curtis, Oona Chaplin, Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh and David Thewlis.