Avatar sequel: Kate Winslet shows off free diving skills in behind-the-scenes pic

Kate Winslet showed off her free diving skills in a shot from the filming of the Avatar sequel. Photo / Supplied

Kate Winslet has put her newly acquired free-diving skills on display in a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of Avatar 2.

Producer Jon Landau shared a snap on Instagram of the 45-year-old actress posed at the bottom of a water tank in a flowing cape while filming for the long-awaited sequel.

She plays "a water person" called Ronal in the film, which is due to be released in December 2022.

Winslet recently revealed that she can hold her breath for more than seven minutes since learning free-diving for the film, being shot in New Zealand.

The role marks her reunion with director James Cameron and producer Landau.

And Landau quoted Kate in the caption for the image, writing: "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'."

In August, the actress shared some of the director's demands for the movie, which is being shot using motion-capture technology.

And she revealed that it was "so wonderful" to be working with Cameron again.

View this post on Instagram

Wanted to share this photo of Kate Winslet after reading her interview in The Hollywood Reporter: “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."

A post shared by Jon Landau (@jonplandau) on Oct 26, 2020 at 9:44am PDT

"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."

Winslet's role in Titanic saw her shoot to international fame, alongside her co-star Leonardo DiCaprio.

Cameron and his crew returned to New Zealand in June to resume production after it was put on pause in March due to Covid-19 restrictions and were let back in to the country for economic reasons.

After completing quarantine, Landau told 1News, "This 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 sequel has been in the works for a decade and is being made at Stone Street Studios in Wellington, also used for other major productions including the original Avatar, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and King Kong.

The sequel 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.