Sigourney Weaver explains the mysterious connection between her new character Kiri, Dr. Grace Augustine, and Eywa in Avatar: The Way Of Water. Weaver portrayed Dr. Grace Augustine in Avatar, a human xenobotanist who sided with the Na’vi during the conflict. Grace, who had her own Na’vi Avatar, was mortally wounded when she and Jake Sully escaped custody to help the Na’vi. The Na’vi attempted to transfer her consciousness to her Avatar body, but it failed as she died.
In Avatar: The Way Of Water, Weaver plays Kiri, the adopted teenage daughter of Jake Sully and Neytiri, who was born of Grace’s avatar and has a continued connection to her. In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Weaver sheds new light on what aspects of Dr. Grace Augustine she brought into her performance as Kiri. She also reveals that Kiri will try to make a deeper connection with Grace in the movie. Weaver also hinted at a mysterious and complicated relationship between Kiri and the deity of the Na’vi, Eywa.
Sigourney Weaver: There’s definitely a transfer of the curiosity and the love of nature. Grace much prefers to be in Avatar form and be out in the forest and studying things, and I think Kiri has a different way of expressing all that. She is just one with nature. And where that comes from, I’m not sure. But it’s very much in the script, and luckily in the movie you will get to see her try to make more of a connection with Grace.
I think there is a scene where she talks about hearing Eywa’s breathing. I wasn’t really sure what happened to Eywa when Hometree is destroyed, but clearly she still exists in some form. Eywa is [why] Kiri can hear things that other people don’t hear. I think it makes Kiri quite uncomfortable, but I think because she’s so sensitive to all of nature that she would also be sensitive to Eywa.
What Kiri’s Differences In The Way Of Water Reveal About Grace’s Arc In Avatar
Instilling Grace’s curiosity and love of nature in Kiri creates a sense of wonder and reverence for the world in both characters. Kiri’s connection to Eywa could also be tied to Grace’s final moments, where she tells Jake Sully she is with Eywa while under the sacred Hometree. Grace was fascinated with how the Na’vi were connected to each other, Pandora, and Eywa. Now, Kiri, who is intrinsically connected to Grace, has a much deeper connection to the Na’vi deity than anyone else.
Kiri can hear Eywa in a way no other Na’vi has been able to, not even the spiritual leaders. Kiri’s discomfort or even fear could be tied to feeling different. Kiri is adopted, and according to James Cameron, she was born of Grace’s own Avatar. An ability to literally hear the deity that your people worship could lead to an even deeper feeling of isolation, especially if she becomes revered by those around her while not understanding her own abilities.
Kiri can continue Grace’s arc by gaining a deeper understanding of her unique bond with Eywa and her ability to truly be at one with nature. Grace was never able to fully be one with the Na’vi, while Kiri is Na’vi and can be fully open to learning and satiating her curiosity. Kiri can explore Pandora’s different environments and cultures in Avatar: The Way Of Water, Avatar 3, and Avatar 4 in a way that Grace never could, and she will almost certainly play a larger role in the future of the Avatar franchise among the Na’vi, as well as in the conflict between Humans and Na’vi once the invaders return.