One of the more delightful surprises in “Avatar: The Way of Water” is when Edie Falco pops up as General Frances Ardmore, a new military commander on Pandora. Ardmore is on a mission to make Pandora hospitable for the human race, as Earth is dying and the human population will soon need a new permanent home. Falco was not prominently featured in any marketing materials, so you’d be forgiven for not knowing the four-time Emmy winner plays a crucial supporting role in the “Avatar” franchise. Falco herself didn’t even know the movie’s release plans.
During a recent interview on ABC’s “The View,” Falco revealed she shot her scenes in “Avatar: The Way of Water” over four years ago. So much time went by in between filming and the 2022 release date that Falco had simply assumed the movie opened in theaters already and just didn’t perform too well.
“I saw the first one when it was out,” Falco said. “The second ‘Avatar’ I shot four years ago. I’ve been busy and doing stuff. Somebody mentioned ‘Avatar’ and I thought, ‘Oh, I guess it came out and it didn’t do very well because I didn’t hear anything about it.’ It happens! Someone recently said, ‘”Avatar” is coming out,’ and I said, ‘Oh, it hasn’t come out yet?’ I will never work again because I said that.”
Falco has yet to see “Avatar: The Way of Water.” Her character is one of the few human characters in the sequel, to which Falco responded, “I wanted to be blue! I was excited I’d be blue and very tall. I didn’t get either of those things.”
Although Falco’s role as General Ardmore is somewhat brief in “Avatar: The Way of Water,” the pathway is set for the character to potentially become a main antagonist in the franchise.
“Avatar: The Way of Water” is now playing in theaters nationwide.
