Hollywood icon Sigourney Weaver has directly responded to what she describes as "legitimate concerns" regarding an intimate scene with her teenage co-star in the latest Avatar film.
Addressing the "Delicate" Scene
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the 76-year-old actor discussed the filming of Avatar: Fire and Ash, which was released on 19 December 2025. Weaver reprises her role as the Na'vi teenager Kiri, while her co-star Jack Champion plays the human character Spider. During the nearly three-year production, Champion was between 14 and 16 years old.
Weaver revealed that a particular scene, where her character tells Spider, "You're perfect just as you are," required sensitive handling because it included a kiss. "Obviously, I wasn't going to kiss Jack, who was 14 or 15, in real life," Weaver stated unequivocally.
The Technical Solution on Set
To film the moment authentically while respecting the actors' real-life age gap, director James Cameron devised a technical workaround. Weaver explained that Cameron asked Champion, who is now 21, to "pick someone [she] could kiss and he did." She added that she imagines a similar, age-appropriate stand-in was used for Champion when she was not present.
Weaver emphasised that this was the only instance during the entire filming process where she and Champion worked separately. She praised Champion's performance, calling him "terrific" and stating that his portrayal of Spider, a human boy connecting with the Na'vi, drives the entire film.
Weaver's Defence of the Scene's Integrity
The actor, famed for her role as Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise, defended the artistic choice and the final result. "That concern about all of that, which is quite legitimate, was going on. And I'm glad the scene survived, because when I saw it, I believed it," she told The Hollywood Reporter.
She further argued that the on-screen connection between the characters overshadows any off-screen age considerations. "It's so genuine between the two of them, and any concern about Jack's real age and my real age, I think there's no room for it there," Weaver concluded.
In a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly, Champion shed light on their creative dynamic, recalling how they improvised together from their very first meeting, which helped build their imaginative bond as characters.
Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third instalment in James Cameron's sci-fi saga, has garnered mixed reviews since its release. Critics, including The Independent's Clarisse Loughrey in a three-star review, have noted the film's visual prowess but questioned the depth given to its actors.
