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James Cameron lost a bet with Zoe Saldana while making Avatar 2

It is widely acknowledged that you should never bet against James Cameron, but it turns out, you should never bet against Zoe Saldana either.

Zoe Saldana in Avatar 2

There has become a common saying in Hollywood, especially now that the long-awaited Avatar sequel is finally out; “never bet against James Cameron.” But it seems as though Cameron should have learned the lesson; “never bet against Zoe Saldaña.”

There is no doubting the fact that the cast of Avatar 2 have been put through the wringer by Cameron. Firstly, there’s the underwater feats – with cast-members such as Kate Winslet breaking world records for how long they can hold their breath underwater. Then, there’s the physical stunts that need to be performed while swinging through trees, or riding various alien creatures, or shooting arrows – all while wearing motion capture suits and head cameras.

Actress Zoe Saldaña is an old pro at this now, having starred in the first Avatar all the way back in 2009. In the same year, she starred as Uhura in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek, and has since taken on the role of green alien Gamora (a change from the blue Na’vi) in the MCU. Saldaña also had a small role in the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, meaning that her movies have brought in more money than any other current star.

With her vast experience in so many blockbuster franchises, James Cameron should have known better than to bet against Saldaña’s ability to always hit targets with her bow and arrow while on set – however complicated that may be.

Speaking to People, Saldaña said; “I’m proud of the fact that Jim [Cameron] has lost bets on whether or not again I can hit a mark. [Mimics bow and arrow]. So he’ll like, you know he’ll be like ‘go hit that.’ And in my mind I’ll be like ‘there’s no way I can.’”

Sam Worthington (who plays Jake Sully) said; “I think he lost a lot of money, he lost a lot of money betting against Zoe.” Saldaña said; “Exactly, one time it was, I think it was 100 bucks. And then the second time it was like 50 bucks.” Worthington said; “It kept going down as you were getting better.”

If you’ve already had a chance to check out Avatar 2, find out more about the cast and have a read of our ending explained.