How James Cameron Navigated the Controversial Kiss in Avatar: Fire and Ash

In Avatar: Fire and Ash, a tender moment unfolds between Kiri, a Na’vi teen, and Spider, the human son adopted by Jake and Neytiri. The scene, featuring a kiss, quickly drew attention—not just for its emotional weight, but because Sigourney Weaver, who portrays Kiri, is 76, while Jack Champion, who plays Spider, is now 21 and was only 15 when the scene was shot. This age difference led to questions about how the filmmakers approached such a sensitive moment.

Behind the Scenes: Filming the Kiss

Director James Cameron took a careful approach to ensure the scene was handled appropriately. Instead of having Weaver and Champion kiss on set, the production used a combination of body doubles and advanced CGI. Champion kissed a girl his own age, while Weaver also performed the scene with another actor. These separate shots were then seamlessly blended in post-production, creating the illusion of intimacy between the two characters without crossing any boundaries.

Cameron explained,

They played the scene and did everything except the kiss. I think it was OK for Sigourney to kiss him on the cheek. There are a lot of rules around intimacy stuff so that was one of the very few times that we had to do something that was just the tiniest bit inauthentic, but we had to do it because we had to do it that way

Why the Kiss Mattered to the Story

The decision to include the kiss wasn’t made lightly. For Cameron, the moment was rooted in his own memories of young love, especially the awkwardness of being shorter than the girls he liked in middle school. In the film, Kiri, as a Na’vi, is much taller than Spider, and she leans down to kiss him. Initially, some on the creative team thought Kiri and Spider should have a sibling-like relationship, but Cameron wanted to explore the complexities of young romance instead.

He shared,

And I thought, no, let’s play that awkward young love thing where they don’t really know how to express it or confront it. And I just love that image when she kisses him at the waterfall and she’s a head taller than him and she has to kind of bend down. My memory of the seventh and eighth grade was all the girls were taller than me, and it didn’t slow me down at all! I thought they were very cool, even though they were bigger than me.

Cast Reflections and Audience Reactions

Sigourney Weaver echoed Cameron’s sentiments, expressing her satisfaction with how the scene turned out. She said,

I believed it. 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 also praised Champion, calling him “terrific.” She even commented on the height difference, saying,

Being a tall woman myself, height doesn’t matter at all. I love that we’re mismatched. It’s perfect.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is currently showing in theaters across the U.S., inviting audiences to experience the evolving dynamics between Kiri and Spider firsthand.