One of the more pleasant surprises in “Avatar: The Way of Water” is when Edie Falco pops up on Pandora as General Frances Ardmore, a new military commander. Ardmore is on a mission to make Pandora hospitable to mankind, as Earth is dying and the human population will soon need a new permanent home. Falco wasn’t featured prominently in any marketing materials, so you’d be forgiven for not knowing that the four-time Emmy winner plays an important supporting role in the “Avatar” franchise. Falco himself was not even aware of the film’s release plans.
During a recent interview on ABC’s “The View,” Falco revealed that she shot her scenes in “Avatar: The Way of Water” four years ago. So much time passed between filming and the 2022 release date that Falco assumed the film had already opened in theaters and just not done very well.
Falco said, “I first saw it when it was out.” “The second ‘Avatar’ I shot was 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 too well. Because I have not heard anything about it. It happens! Recently someone said, ‘Avatar’ is coming out,’ and I said, ‘Oh, it’s not out yet?’ I will never work again because I said so.
Falco hasn’t seen “Avatar: The Way of Water” yet. Her character is one of the few human characters in the sequel, to which Falco replied, “I wanted to be blue! I was excited that I would be blue and very tall. I didn’t get any of those things.”
Although Falco’s role as General Ardmore is somewhat brief in “Avatar: The Way of Water,” the path is set for a character who could potentially become a main antagonist in the franchise.
‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ is now playing in theaters nationwide.
