Stephen Lang admits there are plenty of challenges with filming four “Avatar” sequels at the same time.
Lang may not have realized exactly what it would be like when James Cameron announced production on the additional movies. Lang, 67, plays the villainous Colonel Miles Quaritch in the original film. He recently sat down with The National to detail just what it takes to film so many movies.
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“I’ve given up trying to keep track,” Lang said when asked how many script pages and hours of footage have been recorded. “The whole thing gets a little confusing.”
“It’s very satisfying to know that the character was valued enough and made enough of an impression to [bring him back],” Lang continued. “That, initially, was kind of wonderful, to me. My job is really to advocate the role that I’m playing, and so it’s satisfying to have that much more time to discover Quaritch, find out what makes him tick, talk about him…”
Lang also applauded the sheer scope of the franchise.
“I’m working now with a much broader canvas than I was with the first ‘Avatar’ and it keeps me in concert with James Cameron to really go to town and examine the character in detail,” he shared. “That, to me, is totally tremendously satisfying and challenging… Quaritch has evolved, definitely. We’re making four more films, so if he doesn’t evolve, we’re in some kind of trouble.”
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“It’s not always a question of evolution, it’s about becoming more deeply entrenched,” Lang concluded. “I’m still discovering it. That’s something I’ll be discovering as we continue to work because we’re by no means near finished with this process.”
The first “Avatar” sequel hits theatres Dec. 17, 2021.
